Evening star., 1937-07-16
BY, RUTH GRUBER.


LOS ANGELES. Calf, July l6 IN.
AN.A).-While America is now &C.
claiming the three Soviet airmen who
have made the longest nonstop flight
IN history, their own country is con-
graduating them for forging another
link in the Soviet's vast program to
conquer the Arctic.
I'VE have proved the feasibility OF
trans-polar flying" Chief Pilot Mikhail
Gromoff told me. I'VE have proved
what our polar scientists have long be-
lieved, that the Arctic is the shortest
and most practical air route between
the two worlds
Talking enthusiastically about their
polar fight, the three smiling Soviet
aviators agreed that the "warmest"
part of the trip lay directly over the
North Pole
I'VE couldn't see Papanin's little
black tent drifting on the ice foes be-
cause of fog. But We knew our COM
rades were right below us and we sent
them a radio greeting. Back came
their greeting, wishing us success in
building the air route across the top
OF the world" Uvan Papanin is the
leader Of the Soviet party OF four
scientists who are remaining on an ice
foe near the pole for q year,
Looked Forward to America.
Sitting on swing in the tropical,
-fringed patio Of the Officers
Club at March Field, tall, blond Maj.
Andrei Yumashef1, 35-year-old CO.
pilot. chatted easily.
I'VE had been looking forward ex-
citedly to seeing your America" he
told me. I'VE had heard so much
about the beautiful California noun
tains. But all we could see for most
of the way was just an ocean of
Clouds
In a believe-it-or-not manner he
held up his finger and said: You
know, We few for three days and only
one night. The midnight sun shone
for us all the way across the Polar
Sea. We left Moscow at dawn. and,
by the time we had reached the White
Sea, the polar sun was lighting our
path. The sun beat down on the
Arctic wastes, hidden now and then
by clouds. At times we rose from
$4,000 to $4,000 feet above the clouds
which opened like little windows to
show us the ice. It was beautiful
sight.
Near Rudolph Island on the Soviet
side, the ice lay in rugged high, bro
ken cakes, but as we neared the North
American side the foes leveled and
became great fiat ice field. When
we few down Washington and Oregon
toward California it was still light,
but as we neared San Francisco, dark
ness set in for the first time.
Gained Day Coming.
Another thing" he went on, I'VE
gained day coming here. We left
Moscow on Monday, July IL, and now
it's only Wednesday, July IA, here. OF
course it's half day later over there"
After the pilots had slept for about
four hours, they sat on bed in the
Officers Club and told me laughingly
how they had taken shifts sleeping
during the trip and what they had
eaten and worn.
1--WE didn't have any regular sched-
ule," said Gromoff II would sleep
for about an hour and Yumasheff
would take the controls. Then he
would nap for about an hour. But
don't think Danilin, our navigator,
ever closed his eyes.
Il ate enormously" he went on
"Just whenever I felt like. We had
everything-chicken, tongue, caviar,
chocolate, hot tea, sugared slightly.
and plenty of water" He wrinkled
his nose at the mention of liquor and
said he doesn't drink it. He con-
firmed this statement at lunch when
the army officers asked him if he
would have some whisky before his
ham and eggs. "No, thank you" he
shook his head, "Just milk, please"
Their flying togs were the regular