Evening star., 1938-04-20
AIR MAIL CONTEST
FOR LOCAL PUPILS
High School Students Are
Invited to Compete for
Essay Prizes.

An invitation to washington high
school students to participate in a
national essay contest in connection
with Nation wide Airmail Week May
1918, in celebration OF the goth an
niversary OF the first airmail service,
was issued today by Postmaster Vim
cent Burke.
The District of Columbia winner
will be given an air trip to any point
he may select within a radius Of $500
miles and return. with a 6o-day stop
over privilege. Second prize in the
local contest will be a round-trip
flight to Norfolk. The subject will be
Wings Across America"
The national prize will be an air.
plane trip, with all expenses paid for
five days, to either Hollywood, Calf,
or Miami, Fla.
To assist local students in prepara-
ton OF their essays, Mr.. Burke has
arranged an instruction lecture to be
given at 10 am. Saturday in the in
terdepartmental auditorium, Constitu-
ton avenue between Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets NV. Clarence
Chamberlin, transatlantic flyer, and
airmail officials and airmail pilots will
be the speakers.
All scholars are invited to attend
and those who contemplate entering
the contest will be able to obtain in
formation that will help them in prep
aration Of their essays. Scholars also
are invited to visit the Washington
Post ONCE, where information will be
available, including a new 6-foot
globe showing the airmail and ocean
mail routes.
The citizens OF Washington should
be very much interested in the cele-
bration of Air Mail Week, because the
first airmail route, established May is,
1918, was between Washington, Phila-
delphia and New York." Mr.. Burke
explained.
He pointed out that the mail leav-
ing Washington on the first flight was
delivered to the pilot by President Will
son. and that the first airmail night
was completed by a Washington man,
James c. Edgerton, now in the Bu-
reau of Air Commerce.
Postmaster Burke, chairman of the
essay contest for the District. has Sc
lected as judges for the local contest
DR.. John w. Studebaker, commits
sioner Of education; DR.. Albert F.
Zahm, chief of the division OF aero
nautics, Library of Congress. and Will
lard E. Givens. executive secretary OF
the National Education Association.
All students OF Washington public
high schools and scholars of private
and parochial schools whose studies
are comparable with those of the pub
lie high schools are eligible to enter
the contest. Rules and regulations
governing the contest and pamphlets
OF information have been delivered by
Mr.. Burke to all high schools and will
be available after the close of the
Easter nOllQayS.
Essays prepared by District students
should be completed and mailed not
later than April 80. Envelopes should
be marked "Airmail Essay and ad-
dressed to the Assistant Postmaster,
Washington, D. c.
The essay. Mr.. Burke explained,
should deal with the ideas, purposes
and advantages OF air transportation
as it affects modern communication,
and may not exceed $50 words in
length. In judging the essays, origi-
nality OF ideas will count 50 per cent
continuity and construction 25 per
cent and spelling. punctuation and
neatness IS per cent.