Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-06-09
Mexican Aces Widow
To Leave Tonight;
Crash Quiz Goes On
Flying Fortress Departs
Tomorrow With Body
Of Aviator
B! the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Sonora Agripina de Sarabia. widow
of the Mexican aviator killed in a
crash here Wednesday, arranged to
leave tonight for Mexico City aboard
an Eastern Airlines plane.
Accompanied by her three children
and her sister, she will depart at
9 pm. and is scheduled to reach
Mexico City at l :35 pm. tomorrow.
The Air Safety Board of the Civil
Aeronautics Authority meanwhile
continued an investigation into the
cause of the accident in which
Francisco Sarabia, Mexican flyer,
was killed.
Army officials were preparing the
worlds largest military plane. the
Bis, weighing 40 tons, to return
the body to Mexico City.
The plane was scheduled to take
of a. $50 o'clock Saturday morning.
Among those aboard will be Santiago
Sarabla, brother of the flyer: 1t.
Comdr. Manuel Cermeno, Mexican
naval attache. and 1t. Jesse Auton
OF the War Department, who will
carry special message from Presi-
dent Roosevelt to President Car
denas.
Col. Haynes Is Pilot.
The super flying fortress" will be
plloted by Col Caleb Haynes.
President Roosevelt's offer of the
plane was accepted by Sonora de
Sarabia through the Mexican En-
bassy.
Referring to Sarabia's visit to the
White House this week, where the
aviator presented a greeting from
President Cardenas, Mr.. Roosevelt
wrote the widow:
| My dear Mrs. Sarabia:
only yesterday your husband left
with me beautiful testimonial and
block OF stamps commemorative
OF his record-breaking fight from
Mexico City to New York. want
you to know how deeply I regret your
husbands tragic death and how
much l have treasured the testi-
monial he left with me. Your hus-
band contributed greatly to further
ing good relations between his coun-
try and mine.
am convinced that the name
OF Francisco Sarabia, his valor and
MS achievements will be an inspired
example to the young men of both
countries for generations to come.
please accept my deepest svm-
pathy IN your bereavement.
Very sincerely yours"
Decry Sabotage Rumors.
Sonora de Sarabia and her brother
ln-laW Santiago joined Mexican
Ambassador Francisco Castillo Ma iera
in decrying rumors circulated in
Mexico City that Sarabia' s plane
might have been sabotaged.
The Ambassador issued a formal
statement, after numerous reporters
had inquired at the embassy, describ-
ing the rumors as 'imbecile.' Sonora
de Sarabia telegraphed Agustin
Lenero, personal secretary to Presi-
dent Cardenas, calling the rumors
absurd" and expressing regret that
they had been circulated. Santiago
Sarabia decried the rumors as
unjust"
THE absurd rumors about which
you asked me- the Ambassador said,
regarding the cause of the accident
in which the Mexican aviation ace,
Francisco Sarabia, was killed yes
terday, have greatly surprised me as
well as the relatives of the aviator
and the officials of the Mexican
Embassy who were at Boiling Field
when the accident took place and
noticed the extraordinary care and
effort taken by the technical experts
of Boiling Field and Sarabia himself
to inspect the plane prior to his
take-off.
Such rumors are, if not perfidious,
certainly imbecile. I have good rea-
son for the most sincere appreciation
already expressed officially for the
technical and moral cooperation
and help furnished in this I'M
fortunate event by the officers and
men of Boiling Field and the United
States naval air base at Anacostia
to procure the extraction of the
plane and Of the body Of our glorious
aviator"