SMITH’S NARRATIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1931, Page 5

SMITH’S NARRATIVE

TURKS SUSPICIOUS TREAT HIM AS PRISONER [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. COPYBIGHT.] LONDON, October 3. Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith’s own story of how he was made a prisoner by the Turks was told following his arrival at Athens. Smithy arrived at Tatoi Aerodrome tired, but undaunted at- 7 o’clock in the evening. An anxious band of watchers awaited his arrival. When he descended from his machine after a perfect landing the crowd dashed to greet him. After a formal welcome from the authorities and members of the Greek Aviation Corps, Smithy was escorted to the aerodrome restaurant, where he related his experiences. i “I cannot beat Mollison’s record now,” he said, “but I intend to beat him in the return flight from England. The machine behaved splendidly. I have every ' confidence that I shall succeed when I try again. I was twenty-four hours in front of Mollison when I arrived at Bushire, but the landing at Milas spoilt everything. When I landed there the Turkish police seemed to appear from nowhere. They treated me as a suspicious character. I was unable even to telegraph to friends or let them know when I would be able to leave. [ was kept a virtual prisoner in a room at an hotel. Two sentinels stood outside the door and I was ordered, not to communicate with anyone. The police inflicted upon me interminable interrogations. They specially wanted to know why I landed at Milas and not somewhere else. Finally they said I must wait until the Government at Angora gave me permission to leave. The permission came this morning, so I -was able to continue. I hope to start for Rome at 9 o’clock in the morning.”

Smithy admitted that illness compelled his descent.at Milas. He is evidently still far from well, as the result of sunstroke while flying across India. The fatigue of the re-cord-breaking flight and the effects of the sunstroke caused violent headaches and temporarily impaired nervous system. Only by indomitable will power had he flown so far, when obviously a sick man. He says he will obtain medical attention after his arrival in London. His enforced delay at Milas was possibly for the best, as he believes that an endeavour to continue while he was so sick might have been disastrous. , ... „ Smith is spending two days with a director of the Vacuum Oil Company at Phaleron. He is also consulting an American nerve specialist. He hopes to proceed to England on Octobe,r 5. TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT

TOKIO, October 4.

The American airmen, Pangborn and Herndon, took off from the Fabushiro Beach at seven o’clock this morning on a Pacific non-stop flight. They are hopeful of establishing a worlds distance record.

RlOl ANNIVERSARY.

(Recd. October 5, 1 P-m.) LONDON, October 4.

At Beauvais, flowers were scattered during a simple ceremony on the hillside, the scene of the crash of the RlOl, after which a service was held in the little Protestant church.

MRS. HEWLETT’S TOUR.

BRISBANE, October 4.

Mrs. Hewlett, airwoman, arrived aboard the Nieuw Holland, en route to New Zealand. She said that she had now completed her plans to convert three engined aeroplanes for a journey such as that provided by the Dutch airways. She was anxious to meet Kingsford Smith, and regretted that he passed her on the way. She is noiv looking forward to her arrival in New Zealand.