FEMINIST FORUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 12 July 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

FEMINIST FORUM.

IN PRAISE OF "AMY."

HER PRESS CUTTINGS,

(By a Feminist Correspondent.)

As a feminist I had been annoyed by the banalities of the stnnt Press over Miss Amy Johnson's achievement. When, for instance, in their haste to exploit everything conceivable, they interview her hairdresser, and interview a young man who, it would appear, wanted to many her instead of seeing her flying off to the ends of the eartft, and try to use every treacly sentimentality they can dig up, it becomes nauseous. So when I read the weekly reviews to-day to see what they have to say I am relieved to find there are some other people who think like me. Thus the "Week End Review" says: "With Miss Amy Johnson, as with everything else, the popular Press has not known where to stop. Pleasure in a plucky woman's success has been partially spoiled by the newspapers giving us too much of a good thing. Recognition of her achievement is thoroughly deserved and no doubt very welcome to her, but it is probably with mixed feelings that she has accepted a handsome gift of money from a daily newspaper and is to tour England on her return as its own special fittuit attraction. It is a shame that a feat that belongs to the nation should be made the property of a single concern. There iis something ropellait in the newspapers' frenzied competition among themselves to obtain the exclusive services of each successive hero or notoriety. Nor is it particularly flattering to the famous, for, the. papers concerned show_ little enough discrimination. Anyone is grist to their, mill. Next time it may be a murderer."

Opposite Opinion. At the opposite political pole—but politics do not enter into this, do they ?— is the Socialist "New Statesman": "Miss Amy Johnsou's achievement has won— and deserved to win—the admiration of the world. A mere tyro in _ the air (though a first-class mechanic), she has made a long distance flight that has only been made once before—by Bert Hinkler. And but for the adverse conditions she met with in the South Seas she would probably have beaten his time. But her failure to break a record will not detract from the merit of her performance for any intelligent person. Miss Johnson has shown a degree of pluck, endurance and daring that we should hardly venture to look for outside a book of fairy tales. She will get all the glory and4he cash that are the meed of heroes. But is it not a little unkind of the popular Press to try to make a fool of her? She must have a title, of course. Bert Hinkler, it is true, did not get one, but then he was a mere man. What shall it be 'Dame' is rather dull, and hardly suitable for a maiden in her twenties. •Lady Amy' would nob distinguish her from the vulgar herd of dukes' and earls' daughters. Her appellation mu3t be unique. Let her be 'Sir Amy,'- one newspaper has suggested. The Secretary of State for Air, we are told, is working day and night'at this problem, and perhaps by now he has solved it. If he has not, he might consult the 'Arabian Nights'; the Orientals are rich in honorifics. Or what about something borrowed from the Red Indians?" . Serious Tributes. But there are some serious tributes, and Mr. J. L. Garvin's, as always, is Avell worded: — "Miss Amy Johnson has reached her destination, and we may well be proud of her. She has achieved—and we can say it advisedly—the greatest thing that stands to the credit of any girl in the history of the world.' The courage that inspired her attempt to fly to Australia might have been mere foplhardiness without the gifts of tenacity and capacity that have been so abundantly tested in her adventurous journey. . But, on the other hand, her relative inexperience gives her success all the more significance, inasmuch as it

brings the girdling of the world so much the nearer to ordinary attainment. Miss Johnson has brought something out of the sphere of,miracle and.closer to that of commonplace. She has thrown a notable bridge between science and life."

But if I were Miss Johnson I should feel proudest of, "Truth's" tribute, for "Truth" has by no means -feminist leanings :—

"He must indeed be a cold-blooded and ungenerous man who does not thrill at this unassuming girl's achievement. Miss Johnson's exploit is a portent; it marks a definite epoch in the history of woman, and gives the lie for ever to the old gibe that woman cannot emulate man in any adventure demanding courage and endurance. Her own country is, of course, particularly proud of her, but the whole world salutes the heroine of the skies." Ho Puss. When all is said and done, the most astounding thing about the whole achievement is that Miss Johnson took everything quietly as all in her day's work, no fuss, no flapdoodle. It is known that she found it difficult to get financed. Lord Wakefield couldn't at first believe that so ordinary-looking a girl could take oh the job, and it took a second application to him, backed by Sir Sefton Brancker, before he would, countenance the scheme. Nor was the Press any better, the very Press which is now filling pages with her exploit. But she got to India, and beat Bert Hinkler.' This was a real flyer. The High Commissioner for Australia was one of those she approached. He did not encourage her, but "told her the story of the Red Indian who tried to stop an express train, adding, " Everyone admired his courage, but not his judgment." But Miss Johnson, is one of those who, when she makes up her mind to do a thing does it, in the simplest quietest way. There is one point about her Hying that may have its influence on the development of flying among working women, for it is one of the few sports in which a man and woman working ordinary, business hours can take lessons. If Miss Johnson had wished to take lessons in almost any other form of sport she would not have found experts ready to teach her at 6 o'clock m the morning or during the late evening. So keen, however, are most flyin* schools on acquiring pupils that they are ready to give lessons at any time. Bound To Succeed. Miss Johnson has the kind of mind which would succeed in any enterprise If the word were not stale by overuse, one would say she has vision. The Air'League's-testimony shows this, for two years ago she offered her services to the league, intending to familiarise herself with aviation in general, and thus further her ambition of making a long distance Empire flight. She devoted much of her spare time to office routine, stenography, typewriting, and subediting. After she had taken, her flyin?.

"ticket" in June, 1929, she was persuaded to do some lecturing for the league. It is a remarkable fact that she° undertook her flight to Australia after less than 90 hours' flying, her longest cross country trip being from London to Hull—22o miles. Flying, in fact, is bound to get a big flllup from her flight, especially if, as°we arc promised, we have a fine summer. The London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane is sure to do bumper business, for°most of the famous Avomen pilots seem to have graduated there.- Lady Heath was the first woman to hold a B license, entitling her to fly for hire, and Miss Winifred Spooner—also a, B license pilot —is the holder of the challenge cup of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, while Lady Bailey's solo flight to the Cape via Egypt and back was one of the moat remarkable flights ever performed by a woman. They all learnt their flying and obtained their licenses with the London Aeroplane Club, which has produced over 200 new pilots, including many women, since it was started less than" five years ago. The club started with two Moth aircraft and members. It now has seven modern aircraft and a clubhouse, and its members do from three to four thousand hours' flying a year. As a feminist I cannot refrain from imparting one part of the alleged confession of Miss Johnson's young admirer. "Once when we were talking seriously about flying and I confessed to failure compared with her lightning progress 1 , she turned suddenly to me and said: "What about me? 'Have you thought of my difficulties? Have you thought of the sex prejudice I am up against? Suppose I am a better flyer than you, we both got our B license, but actually I am a better man than you.

"Suppose we both applied for an important position. Do you honestly think they would engage me before you, although you admit for the purpose of this conversation that I can beat you hollow, despite the fact that on paper we both have the same qualifications. No, my friend; you would get the job. Sex prejudice is going to be against me all the time."

And who will say Miss Amy Johnson is not right! But apart from other aspects of Miss Johnson's world flight there is no possible shadow of doubt but that sirs has brought substantially nearer the day when flying will cease to be what it is now, a kind of acrobatic exercise possible only to the trained athlete and when a man or woman will get into his or her. private aircraft with the same easy nonchalance as one gets to-day into one's motor car or one's bicycle. That goal is no doubt very far off; but it is being reached, and when it is reached posterity, if it is as intelligent and as grateful as it ought to be, will account Miss Johnson as one of the greatest of the pioneers who, with magnificent courage and devotion, blazed the trail to it.