davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-04-27
By A. A. HoehHne.

Walking along the Tidal Basin in
the spring and looking not at the
blossoms, but at a line of sausage
fat balloons lowering lazily above
Such may be the experience OF
Washingtonians in some future
spring if projected experiments with
barrage balloons demonstrate to the
War Department that the big,
paunchy bags can be OF use here
as they are in England, and possibly
in Germany and Italy.
Some weeks have passed since
Undersecretary of War Patterson an
nounced the formation of America S
first barrage balloon unit ito expert
ment with the use of barrage bal
looms in defense against air raids, y
and probably many more weeks will
follow before a curious public is in
formed as to the outcome of the
tests.
But this much has penetrated the
increasingly thick veil of Army
secrecy which leads one to believe
that the Air Corps is in earnest
at an unnamed rubber company bal
looms of secret design are already
on order and very probably in the
process of fabrication.
Evening star., 1941-04-27

Force at San Antonio, Tex, turning
out some of the finest Canadian
flyers.
Eddie Stimson, who was rated as
Americas greatest stunt flyer.
Walter Pack, who was later killed
in South America flying for Peru.
Pop" Keller, a 60-year-old hunch-
back, who was a direct descendant
of the court testers of the Kings of
France and who acted like one in
the air. He did not take up flying
until he was so years of age and
then became one of the stars.
Rudolph Shorty" Schroeder, aft
erward a major in the Army and
holder of the world altitude record
in 1918, when he made the famous
27,OO0-foot fight into the air and
had his eyeballs frozen over Wright
Field in Dayton, Ohio, was blinded
and still made perfect landing.
He had fallen 10000 feet before he
was able to pull out.
Miles Irmiss, one of the first test
pilots in America.
Fish Hassell, lost while flying from
America to his home in Sweden and
later found adrift in an ice foe.
Capt. Ed Music, who flew the first
clipper ship across the Pacific and
later lost his life in the same service.
TEX" La Grone, one Of the early
Curtiss pilots.
Bob Shank. noted flyer. who never
took a minutes instruction, crawled
into ship the first time he ever
saw one and flew by ear" as he
said.
de-Stepped Rank.
As Smith recalls it, all of these
men in offering their services to
the War Department felt they could
do a better job as civilians so they
side-stepped rank. They taught the
officers to fly and the officers in
turn taught other officers. Smiths
career as one of the first four chief
flying instructors was paralleled by
the others. 1t ran like this: He
started at Chanute Field, ILL.,, to
help get things going there. From
Chanute, Smith went to Selfrldge
Field and from there to Mount
Clements, Mich, where he was in
structor in acrobatic flying. In
cidentally, Mount Clements was the
first school of acrobatic flying in
America. Ironically enough, the
school was closed December 10,
1917, because of cold weather; the
old airplanes were not heated.
Smith travelled to Love Field,
Dallas, Tex, and from there to
Wilbur Wright, Dayton, at the re-
quest of the then 1t. Col. B. Q.
Jones, now one of the leading men
in Uncle Sans Air Service and one
of the great flyers in the Army.
While Smith and his coworkers
were essentially instructors. they
Continued on Page C-50
Evening star., 1941-04-27
Balloons Perform Valuable Service for Armies in Warfare

tions differ in the United States
from those in England? Suffice it to
say that there is a difference, and
enough, according to one Army Air
Corps officer, to make it impracti-
cal to copy literally the English
balloons.
In this respect, it has been said,
various Europe types" will be tested
over here. Whether actual samples
will be shipped to us is not known.
Until the day when great numbers
of the balloons can be turned out,
is it wiser to concentrate them
around industrial areas, factories,
ports or civilian centers? 1t Is vital
to protect such manufacturing
cities as Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleve-
land and Bethlehem? And yet the
nerve centers, New York and Bos-
ton, where industry and shipping are
on the fringe, and Washington, are
just as essential to the scheme of
defense and war.
These are the main questions to
be settled. Matters of an operative
nature are not worrying the Air
Corps so much. The men in the OBJ
.servation squadrons, the corps feels
certain, are well qualified not only
to handle the balloons, but also to
instruct others In the technique.
Evening star., 1941-04-27

Mr.. Patterson himself, in reference
to England, admitted that there is
no doubt of the fact that they (the
balloons) have been quite effective
for the purpose for which they have
been designed"
The experiments have been going
on for some time now. In Decem-
ber, some two months before the
Undersecretary's announcement, the
Sd Balloon Observation Squadron
out at Moffett Field, Wash, by War
Department order, quietly meta
morphosed into the Sd Barrage Bal
loon Squadron and moved to nearby
Fort Lewis.
There the squadron, which was
authorized in 1927 and went to
active duty 10 years later, has been
doing the best it can to mimic the
London ballooners with its limited
equipment of one balloon. The one
is the C-6 observation gondola type
of which the Army repeatedly has
only six in existence in its three
balloon squadrons. (The two other
squadrons are at Fort Sill, Okla.
and Fort Bragg, N. c.
The squadron has been organized
as mobile truck unit, however
which means that it can Jump In
few days from Washington half
Evening star., 1941-04-27

doubt of the popularity of the Eng
lish balloons. The Britishers refer
to them by such affectionate names
and terms as "Old Floppies," Fat
Boy" and winnie"
Shall helium or hydrogen gas be
used? Helium is extremely expen-
sive and our supply is not entirely
enough. But it won't burn.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, is
cheap and can be produced in in
finite quantities. But 1t is danger
ously inf1ammable-as witness the
explosion of the dirigible Hinden-
burg at Lakehurst.
Captive barrage balloons some
times break from their moorings, as
they have frequently done in Eng
land, and in at least one instance
have drifted all the way across the
North Sea to Scandinavia.
The danger of runaway barrage
balloons, filled with hydrogen, is
something which can well give con-
Germ to the civilian population.
However, is there enough helium
to fill an effective number of bal
looms? Barrage balloons, it seems to
have been indicated in Great
Britain, are useful only in great
quantity.
In what way do weather condi-
Evening star., 1941-04-27

planes and took the third one for
hop back to America. BY this time
America was getting ready to enter
the World War. The United States
Army had very few Army pilots and
no instructors. So the Army did
what it is doing at this very moment.
1t asked for civilian help, called for
volunteers from the, civilian flying
personnel. There were only about
so flyers in all America flying as pro-
fessionals and these men taught the
junior officers of Uncle Sans first
great flying corps.
Aviation's Finest.
To conjure up the names of those
who offered their services to train
that first flying corps seems like
yanking a page out of the history
books and the page is dotted and
sprinkled with the names and nick
names of aviation's finest. They are:
Bert Acosta, who was one of the
first airmail pilots and later Admiral
Byrd's pilot on his flight across the
Atlantic.
slim" Lewis. one of the first pro-
fessional American aviators who was
with Boeing when he got the con-
tract to fly the American mails.
E. Hamilton Lee, who started fly
ing right after the Wrights per-
Evening star., 1941-04-27

fected their invention and who is
still at it with more than 100000
miles of flying to his credit without
an accident. He was Americas ace
airmail pilot back in the days when
men who flew the mails sat outside
unprotected by any covering.
Louis Gertson, one of the first
night flyers.
Edward V. Gardner, the first man
ever to fly from New York to Chicago
between sunrise and sunset.
Ira Biff1e, who had the unique dis
tinction of being the man who in
structed Col. Charles A. Lindbergh,
the first man to fly the Atlantic
solo, and who also taught Frank
Luke, greatest of all American war
aces.
Harry Crewdson, an ace flyer of
the day.
Dan Kiser, the American who
taught members of the Royal Air
Evening star., 1941-04-27
War Pioneer Recalls Horse and Buggy Days American Aviation
Washingtonian Became One
Of Army's First Civilian
Instructors of Pilots
Aerial Daredevil Once Raced
Planes Against Automobiles
At Fairs and Carnivals
Bv John J. DAILY.

Pilot Training by the Civil Aeronut
mate 1000 flight instructors have also into the two services
the civilian aviation
Evening star., 1941-04-27
Defense Units Experiment
With Physical Problems
Of High>Altitude Flying
Trend Toward Heights Always
Has Been Characteristic
Of Warfare Among Men
By Joseph S. Edgerton.

Driven by the xgencies of modern aerial warfare into the
psychological problems like Of
ms contemplated before the present generation.
flown higher
special
Evening star., 1941-10-22
Mexico and Britain
Decide 10 Restore
Diplomatic Ties
Exchange Of Ministers
To End Break Caused
BY Oil Expropriotion
BY the Associated Press.


MEXICO CITY, Oct 22-Another
link between Great Britain and the
Western Hemisphere was restored
today by the decision of Britain and
Mexico to resume diplomatic rela-
tions after a lapse OF more than
three years.
Bridging of the break which re-
suited from the Cardenas adminis-
trations appropriation of foreign
owned oil properties was acclaimed
by Mexican authorities as symbolic
Ing the united front of our two
democracies in the present crisis"
A joint agreement to exchange
ministers was announced last night
by Foreign Minister Ezequiel Pa
dilla following negotiations initiated
by President Manuel Avila Cam
acho.
The announcement made no ref
erence to the oil appropriation is
sue, and authoritative sources said
the decision to exchange ministers
was reached without any commit
ments in regard to that problem.
LONDON. - An authoritative
source said that despite the de-
cislon to resume diplomatic re-
lations we have made it plain
to the Mexican government that
We fully maintain our attitude in
respect to the oil dispute."D
Relations with London were
severed by Mexico on May 13, 1888,
after receipt of three sharp British
notes protesting the appropriation
and Mexicos failure to pay an in
Stallment on British claims for dam
ages growing out of revolutions be-
tween 1910 and 1920
Official quarters here said that
lone of the most prominent figures
in Mexican political life" would be
designated as Minister to London,
probably this week.
There was some speculation that
Britain might name as her minister
T. Iford Rees, who has been consul
general here since the break.
Evening star., 1941-10-22
u. 5. Woman Disappears
MysferiousIy at Tijuana
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
SAN DIEGO, Calf. Oct. o.
Mexican police are searching for
Mrs. Alvina Cochrane. 81, who dis
appeared from a bar in Tijuana.
Mexico, a few hours after she and
her husband arrived from Prince
ton, Ind.
The husband, Joe Cochrane, said
his wife vanished while he left the
bar to move his automobile.
The San Diego sheriff's Office, COL
laborating with Mexican police, was
checking report that woman had
been seen trying to flee from a
house at Rosarito Beach, Is miles
south of Tijuana. The report said
a man had pursued her, slapped her
and taken her back to the house.
Evening star., 1941-10-22
Seogoine Picket browns
When Two Boots Collide
Ry the Associated Press.

SEATTLE, Oct. 22-Aquatic pick
citing resulted IN a drowning yester-
day.
William M Murray, business agent
for a United Construction Workers
Union local, lost his life when two
c. I. o. picket boats collided in Lake
Union in a heavy fog.
The boats were picketing the
Pioneer Sand & Gravel Co plant,
protesting the company's refusal to
sell materials to a housing job on
which C. l. o. labor is employed
The plant employs A. F L. labor.
The A. F. L. has been picketing the
housing project.
Evening star., 1941-10-22
You Wish Just q
Delicious Snack"

The TEA Room, SEVENTH FLOOR
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
Second Among Cities

In a recent report Of the Ma
tional Safety Council in thi, re-
spect. Detroit occupies second
position in the whole country.
Those ratios compare as follows:
81. Louis IS per cent Detroit 81
per cent. with ail of the remain
ing cities having q higher per
cent. TOilluetraie What the ratio
means. during January and Feb
ruarV. one year ago, the ratio OF
persons killed as pedestrians to
the total number of person.
killed In traffic was so per cen a
In other words. out Of every 1T
persons killed in traffic. eight
were pedestrians. The pedestrian
educational program today has
10 IFS credit a reduction from
this number 10 g. persons out of
every 10.
In your letter Of March %.
vou also suggest that the U-turn
is one Of the primary factors in
the causes of accidents. The
real guide TO the activities of
enforcement. engineering and
education is the record Of acci-
dents and the manner in which
they occur. To my knowledge,
there has not been a single
fatality as a result of a U-turn
in 1910. nor 10 date this year.
All of our agencies dealing with
the traffic problem apply one
important and basic rule.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06

for traffic accidents and con-
geStion. For example Atwater
is not a traffic thoroughfare, be-
ing lined on both sides with
wholesale outlets requiring the
loading and unloading of large
trucks and in this capacity
serves more as a loading dock
than a traffic way. 1t is not to
be expected that any improve
ments can be made here for the
fluent movement of traffic which
would be consistent with the
requirements to handle eXpe-
ditiouSly foodstuffs and other
commodities necessary for the
life of Detroit.
It is suggested in your "let-
ter" that the number of one
way streets should be increased.
The justification for one-way
streets lies more in the desire
10 facilitate the movement of
traffic than it docs in the desire
TO minimize the number of traf-
fic accidents. The history of
one-way streets throughout the
country docs not lay emphasis.
on the possibility of injury and
fatal accident reduction due 10
the change or movement 10 one
direction only. / understand.
however that for greater safety
and traffic movement. CONGRESS-
and Larned streets viii soon be
added TO the list of Dcuoit's
nnn-MaN sfInolS-
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
Must Watch Costs

The March % issue also sug-
CcStS standardization of traffic
signals. That Improvement along
with several of the others which
YOU have suggested. involves the
expenditure of large sums of
money. | recognize the desirable
ity of proceeding with wide
and comprehensive program in
Volving such expenditures. but I
also recognize that the tax rates
for the people of the City of De-
troit must be guarded and MAIN
tanned at level which IS
consistent with the general pros
perity of the city.
You have mentioned double
parking and parking on street
car streets. These matters are
generally matters of enforce
ment. Again, it must be borne
in mind that the police depart
ment has been required to do a
lob of enforcement which calls
for greater man-pOWer than has
been available to them in the
recent past. However, during
the first two and one-half
months OF this year. there were
114.562 tickets issued for all
violations. as compared to l0l,-
OLA tickets issued during the
corresponding period Of 1910.
From January l to March ~.
1910. there was a total of 7i9
tickets issued for double park
ing violations alone. During the
corresponding period Of this
year, the number Of tickets
issued for double parking is $50
-1iG moro
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
Solution Hard to Find

The traffic problem will not
diminish in its Importance and
magnitude. Every day more
evidences are brought to the fore
of increased industrial employ
ment and increased m o tor
vehicle traffic in the streets,
bringing with them increased
exposure to the hazards of traf-
lie and greater congestion. All
of these emphasize the need for
greater and greater application
to the solution of the problem
as you have indicated. One of
the reasons why the traffic
problem will probably be with
us constantly is the fact that
the apparent solution to the
problem is not the real solution.
This fact is illustrated by your
selection of the photographs re-
produced in the March % issue.
The congestion. for example, in
Second boulevard is not caused
by the So-called bottleneck at
the railroad, as you state. There
is, of course. a physical bottle
neck. inaSmuch as. the number
of northbound lanes is reduced
to four. However. there is no
cause for the interruption of
constant movement at the rail-
road. The four lanes under the
viaduct are capable of a greater
per hour delivery of vehicles
than the intersection of Grand
boulevard and Second boule-
ward, where the real bottleneck
OCcurS.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
Basic Rule Prevails

That mlc is The application Of
finances. human power and euer-
gicS i'm a seiccilNs manner 10 at
tack the problem v.ere II is
most severe and ~ such times
when It Is most clitIra. i'm order
To determine the Time and place.
the traffic agencies have at
their disposal many studies Of
congestion and a great file of
accident records. ! ann confident
IN the belief that these agencies
are being guided by that basic
rule.
Regardless of the effort of all
Of the agencies dealing with The
traffic problem. the human Gle
ment what one does as pedes-
trian and what one docs in an
automobile determines oSantu-
ally what our record, arc TO be.
Contacts W'b fhr public. as
illustrated bv Your article. are
all impOrtarf H Tire woidu 4
Of human bchN or II is hopeN
that IN the future the press will
continue 10 be- rs close to the
problem and to show the interest
necessary and 10 publish that
information which viii be- effec-
tive in molding hun7n behavior
as indicated by intensive study
of the problems and which viii
truly benefit the entire traffic
picture.
Very truly yours.
(Signed
EDWARD J. JEFFRTFS.
NTayor
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
Old, Old Problem

OF course. we have a traffic
problem. We have had a traffic
problem for a long, long time.
Back in the days at the very
beginning of the Christian era
they had a traffic problem. If
I recall correctly an edict was
issued in the old Egyptian days
forbidding the driving of chariots
by women into the public square
during the market hour. ] ex-
pect we will have some Kind OF
a traffic problem for some time
to come. This does not mean
that we have not begun the solu-
ton of it.
Right now we arc in the midst
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06
BottIeneck Of Time

The latter bottleneck is one Of
time rather than of number of
lanes. The reason. OF course. Is
that northbound movement in
Second boulevard is interrupted
for those periods during which
the east and west traffic crosses
the intersection in West Grand
boulevard. The solution of this
problem is intricately linked
with the construction Of the
Harper-McGraw limited access
route which is, according to all
reports, very near realization.
The difficulties as illustrated
IN the remaining photographs of
the March % issue do not in
clude the main reasons or causes
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06

Of a pedestrian educational pro-
gram. This program was begun
because il became so evident
that pedestrian fatalities play
such a large part in traffic
fatalities. 1t was begun because
. e q estrianS by their own
thoughtleSneSs threw themselves
into the inevitable position II
conflict between themselves and
motor-driven vehicles This
pedestrian educational program
in its third month already has
shown some beneficial results.
For example. the ratio OF pedes-
trian fatalities 10 total traffic
fatalities in the first iwo months
this year shows marked I'M
provcment over the same period
IN 1910.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-06

April 5, 1871.
EDITOR,
THE DETROIT TIMES,
Detroit. Mich.
Dear Sir:
MAY I express my apprecia-
uA ton for the full page display
of photographs and the publicity
which you have given to one of
our largest problems, namely.
the traffic problem.
The solution of the traffic
problem so vitality includes the
interest of the public that il is
difficult to conceive how mate
rial Improvements can be made
without the cooperation of the
public and the press as Illus
trated by your article entitled
"When VIII We End the Traffic
Problem" in your issue of Sun
day, March %.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-10-09
Hitler's First Retreat

Adolf Hitler has not yet retreated on
the military front. But Hitler makes
significant and probably fatal retreat on
man people that they may be in for long
war.
Heretofore the Nazi dictator has carried
the people of Germany along with him by
promising them speedy victory. He made
good that promise in the case of France,
and of other nations in Europe, except
Britain and Russia.
For the first time now Hitler admits
that his blitzkrieg methods have failed
This may be fatal admission for the
Nazi leader in his own country. We doubt
seriously that the German people are pre-
pared to make the great sacrifices Hitler
tells them they will have to make in order
to continue the war.
Germans who expected Hitler to set up
"New Order" in Europe are no doubt as
disappointed in this program as they are IN
the failure of Hitler's armies and air force
to conquer Britain and Russia before win
ter.
For in every country in Europe where
Nazi forces are in control, there is grow
ing unrest. Life for Germans everywhere
is not becoming safer. It is becoming more
dangerous.
Even those people in conquered coun-
tries who were willing to surrender to Hit
Ter in the hope that his "New Order" might
not be so bad, after all, are finding that
President Roosevelt was right when he
said:
This New Order,' it is abvious, is mere
ly the old order of tyranny and enslave-
ment of other people. It is an order in
which there is no liberty, no religion, and
no hope"
Public sentiment against such "New
Order as this is bound to grow stronger,
not weaker, with the passing months and
years in every land where men and women
love iberty.-The Winston-Salem Journal.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-10-09
Need Is Obvious

We agree with Secretary Hull that it is
high time for this country to resist "Nazi
lawlessness and piracy" by amending or
appealing the Neutrality Act.
The law now prevents United States
merchant ships from being armed and thus
they are totally defenseless in protecting
themselves even though they are attacked,
as the Amer can-owned I. G. White was last
week.
Germany has clearly shown that she
does not intend to respect any internation-
al law which was proven by the sinking of
the L c. White within the neutral zone of
the Western Hemisphere
The overwhelming majority of Amer
lean people have approved President
Roosevelt's recent order for the u S. Navy
Ito Shoot at German submarines or war
ships on sight, and since it is impossible
for each merchant ship to be accompanied
by convoy from the Navy, why isn't it
equally practical for the vessels engaged in
commerce to be armed for self protection?
Isn't it foolish for us to spend billions of
dollars producing tanks, airplanes, and
munitions for England and yet allow these
needed supplies to be ruthlessly sunk in the
ocean?
This same question caused tremendous
debate in Congress during the last World
War, with the final upshot being that
Senate fillibuster killed the measure that
was so vigorously advocated by President
Wilson. Failure to arm the merchant
ships then resulted in greatly increased
sinking which led this country into war
sooner than it otherw Sc would have been.
If you have an idea that you are going
to meet someone who will hold you up,
don't you plan to defend yourself. Isn't
that merely the sensible thing to do? We
think so and hope that Congress will wake
up and realize that we are faced with a
most serious situation.