Evening star., 1933-12-17
Hawks Effort to Set Speed
Record Will Climax D. c.
Program Today.
FETE MARKS ANNIVERSARY
OF. FLIGHT BY WRIGHTS
Formation Flying Yesterday
Greatest in City's History.
Notables at Dinner.

Defylng a river fog which at times
threatened to blot out their landing
fields and brought clouds down to 500
feet, lQ8 Army, Navy and Marine Corps
combat planes yesterday afternoon were
put through the most spectacular dem
ontsration of t-actical flying Washing
ton has seen.
The demonstration was the opening
| feature of a two-day observance of the
thirtieth anniversary of the first air
plane flight, made by Orville Wright at
Kitty Hawk, N. c., December II, 1903.
The military show was followed by a
brilliant aviation dinner last night at
the Mayhower Hotel and will be con-
cluded today with an attempt by Lieut.
Comdr. Frank NJ. Hawks to break the
| world 2,000-kilometer speed record and
a civil air meet at College Park Airport,
College Park, Nd, where the Wrights
opened the worlds first flying school.
De Seversky Seeks Mark.
Maj. Alexander P. de Seversky, holder
Of the world amphibian plane speed
record, who was to have attempted to-
day to break his own record at Detroit,
arrived Unexpectedly in Washington
late yesterday afternoon in his fast
plane in the hope that he would be
able to break the record here today. He
explained that cold weather at Detroit
had blocked his effort by freezing over
all possible water landing areas. A
course will be laid out at once and De
SeVersky hopes to go after the record
here during the week.
The reading of copy of a telegram
from President Roosevelt to Orvllle
Wright, in which the President paid
tribute to the two pioneers who made
possible the great aviation industry, set
the keynote for last nights aviation
dinner at the Mayf1ower Hotel.
1T is a source of qualification to
me to know that it was an American
who gave the world mechanical wings"
the President said. "and it is an even
| that America has taken in the rapid
development Of this newest and swift
! est form of transportation.
| Although only 80 years have passed
since that eventful day when you made
the first actual flight in heavier than
air power driven vehicle, the airplane
has progressed to a point where, today
1t is an indispensable unit in our ma
| tional defense and an exceedingly i'm
portant adjunct to the commerce of
| May I add my personal and very
| sincere congratulations to you on this
| historic anniversary"
In telegram to former Senator
Hiram Bingham, president of the Ma
tional Aeronautic Association. who pre-
sided as POSTMASTER, Orville Wright
said:
Il send greetings to the officers and
members of the National Aeronautic
Association, to the leaders in military
and commercial aviation. and to the
intrepid aviators and friends assembled
tonight to celebrate the thirtieth ami
verSary of the first flight by aeroplane
The progress made in aviation in the
| brief space since that first fl ght has
been amazing. May I extend to you
congratulations for your contributions
to it. Regret that l cannot be with
you tonight"
During a half-hour broadcast of the
banquet program sent out by the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co., 2-minute ad-
dresses were made by Capt. A. G. Read,
U. S. N, who commanded the first air
craft to fly the Atlantic; Mrs. Amy
johnson Mollison, famous British avi-
atrix; Eugene L. Vidal, director of aero
nautics, Department of Commerce;
Lieut.. Comdr. Hawks, Jimmy Weddell,
Brig. Gen. Oscar WeStover, assistant
chief of the Army Air Corps on behalf
of his chief, Mai. Gen. Benjamin D.
Foulois, worlds first military pilot and
pupil of the Wrights; Lieut. Comdr.
Thomas G. w. Settle, U. S. NJ, holder
of the worlds official altitude record,
and Capt. William TAFT, commander of
the Coast Guard Station at Kitty Hawk.
host to the Wrights when the first
flight was made.
A gold plaque commemorating his
victory in the Thompson Trophy race.
greatest American speed classic, was
presented to Jimmy Weddell at the
banquet, after he arrived by rail from
New Orleans at the last moment. An
attempted airline distance speed rec
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