Evening star., 1937-03-16
BY c. b. ALLEN,
epecisl Dispatch to The Star,

A
OAKLAND, Calf, March l6.-A
sluggish bad weather area which has
been hanging on the California coast
for 10 days and had forced Pam
American AirWays Hawaiian Clipper
to turn back twice in the last week
on attempt to reach Honolulu, yester-
day caused Amelia Earhart TO call OF
for at least another "a hours the start
Of her projected equatorial flight
around the world. Present indica-
tiors are that her take-off, originally
scheduled between and 5 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, will not take
place before tomorrow.
. Yesterdays decision was reached
after a morning conference attended
by Miss Earhart, Paul Mantz her tech
nical adviser, who Is 10 accompany
her as relief pilot on the 2,4l0-mile
flight to Hawaii John A. Riley, Gov
eminent weather forecaster at Oak
land Airport, and Willis H. Clover,
chief meteorologist of Pan-American
Airways Pacific division. The meeting
was held at Pan-Americans Alameda
base where Clover's weather maps
confirmed those Of Riley in showing
that if Miss Earhart were to go
through with her plan Of taking of
yesterday afternoon she would face
-unfayorable winds and generally haz-
ardous flying conditions during the
hrst 400 or 500 miles of he trip, owing
to series of low-pressure areas that
have failed to move off her course in
accordance with the weather experts
earlier anticipations
Clipper Waits Till Tomorrow.
These conditions are considered SO
adverse that Psn-Americsn officials
saie there was no prospect of their
giant Clipper starting across the Pa
clfic again before tomorrow afternoon,
Miss Earhart said that she might con-
slider taking of on her flight If the
stretch of bad weather was nearer the
other end of the course TO Honolulu,
but that she did not care TO risk her
Wasp-motored Lockheed Electra fly
ing laboratory" in the turbulent air
she was assured the lows" would in
volve during the initial stage of the
flight when her ship will be in a heav-
lily overloaded condition.
There is also a possibility that she
will delay her flight one day after the
Hawaiian Clippers take-off in order
that Pan-American'S radio direction
finding ground stations here and in
Honolulu will be able to devote their
full attention to checking her position
on the way across the Pacific and not
have their problem unduly compli-
Gated by having to shepherd both the
Clipper and the Electra at the same
time.
Mr.. Mantz said after the weather
conference that he meant to t"|e \
United Airlines plane to Los Angeles
during the afternoon to attend to
sorne business affairs there before the
trsns-Pscific take-off, He indicated
that he would return this morning or
later II weather conditions on the
course to Hawaii continue as stasnant
as they have been for the last few
days. Mantz left on the noon plane
Work on Radio.
Capt. Harry Manning, who is to
be Miss Earhart's navigator IS fsr
as Port Darwin, Australia, and radio
expert brought here from Los Angeles
Sunday night continued to work on the
flying laboratory's" radio set in an
effort to make it work satisfactorily
on the steamship band OF 500 kilo-
cycles, as we'll as on its two radio tele-
phone freouencies on 3,l05 and 6,2l0
kilocycles. Manning considers the 500
kilocycle band the most important of
the frequencies which Miss Earhart's
ship is licensed to use because ships
at sea and shore stations operating
in code on this wave length will be
practically his sole source of radio
assistance after leaving Honolulu.
Manning was aided by Fred Noonan,
who is to act as relief navigator as
far as Rowland Island, Miss Earhart's
next stop beyond Honolulu
Prior to the weather conference, at
which the decision to postpone yester-
days take-off was reached, George
Palmer Putnam, Miss Earhart's hus-
band and business manager, issued a
statement that the laboratory" plane
was packed and ready to 90 except for
making up lunches for the crew and
f1lling the vacuum bottles in which
they will carry water, hot tomato Juice,
coffee and cocoa. The statement in
cluded message received by William
T. Miller, Bureau of Air Commerce
representative Who is assisting In
preparations for the flight. from Rob-
ert Campbell, engineer in charge of
preparing the Rowland Island air
Dort."