Evening star., 1932-09-23

The attempt of George r. Hutchln-
son, his wife and two daughters, ana
years old. to cross the Atlantic py
stages. flying over Greenland, is con-
demned by the public because OF the
peril involving the. children. Their
fortunate rescue after disaster to the
plane is a subject for rejoicing but II
is held generally that the children were
not competent to exercise Judgment IN
their decision to accompany the par
ents. A law to prevent endangerlng the
lives of young flyers is demanded IN
some comments.
1T is hoped that in the near future
when stunt flyers feel the urge to make
transoceanic attempts they will not
take children along says the Toledo
Blade. and the Meridian, Miss. Star
declares: No glamour. no romance, no
glory attaches to little children freez-
ing and starving to death" The Port
Huron Times Herald comments: We
have become quite Injured and almost
callous to the voluntary Sacrlflces OF
human life in its maturity, as men and
women have set out to win fame and
fortune in the air. But taking the chill
dren along on such a perilous exploit,
with the small chance it offered OF be-
ing able to get through at all saVored
too much of massacre of the lnno-
cents to set well on the national con-
science"
Children are neither capable OF un-
derStanding the danger nor OF declolng
whether they will risk it." in the Judg-
ment of the Cincinnati TimeS-Star,
which advises: ITO expose them to II
is in effect to take advantage OF thelr
innocence. Indeed, they run greater
risk than adults, being less aDle 10
withstand hardship and exposure II ma
rooned or injured in a crash. Happily
the Hutchinsons are apparently none
the worse for their mishap. Under the
circumstances one feels free to say that
it Is good thing the expedition came
to grief. for by illustrating the almost
criminal foolhardiness of taking chill
dren on dangerous flights it may serve
to discourage similar undertakings IN
the future" /,
Undoubtedly. the children were IN
fuenced. directly or indirectly. by their
elders" thinks the Escanaba Daily
Press, with the conclusion that 1t does
not seem proper that parents should
offer up youth as sacrlhce upon an
altar of sensationalism." The OaKlano
Tribune finds that there are many VINO
will say it is too bad Journeys OF the
kind cannot be prevented by law, lnat
paper holds that IF the children had
choice in the undertaking, 1t was one
without understanding" and that "avi-
alton gains nothing with the establish
ment Of a record for family flying, and
the public, with the thought Of chill
dren exposed to needless risk. is given
cruel hours of concern" The DAN
bury Evening News agrees that some
law. some enactment, some power
should be able to prevent this sort OF
thing. and remarks: IF man wants
to risk his neck in an airplane journey
that's his business If his wife wants
to go along and risk her neck, too, that's
her business. But If this couple wants
to take young children along that ought
to be the public's business"
Lexington Leader. that authority does
not exist in governments to prevent
such exploits" That paper states as
to the flight: 'It is relief to know
that the children have not been sacri-
feed to the foolhardiness of the
parents. 1t is true that the family
has flown together many thousands of
miles In the past few years, but the
voyage to England bv way of Labrador
and Greenland at this season wss a
particularly p3rilous adventure and the
various governments concerned did not
approve of it. When the Hutchirsons
disappeared America, Germany, Nor
way, Denmark and England were rep
resented irfN the hunt which was made
for them. "A very large sum Of money