ATLANTIC FLIERS

Grey River Argus, 11 July 1927, Page 5

ATLANTIC FLIERS

A FALLING OUT. A London Version. (Australian aud N.Z. Cable Assn.) ONDON July 8. Atlantic flights are very much in the air and out of the welter of projects there emerges deep French chagr ; n centred around the “What is wrong with French macnincs? ” The French press is extolling American. Italian and British flights, including Sir A. Cobham’s journey to Australia. The papers also assert: “We have got brave intrepid airmen, btu 'but where are our aeroplanes?” The newspapers ask should Nungesser and Coli been allowed to go to their fate, and they point out that St. Romain was permitted to embark on a totally unsuitable machine. Now tho depression is heightened by the decision of France’s outstanding airman, Mauxico Drouhin, to pilot Devine back to New York in “Miss Columbia” Droughin has jettisoned a plan to fly a French plane across, and has accepted Levine’s invitation to pilot him. Herein rests an interesting story. There have been rumours of a disagreement between Chamberlain and Levine. The former,, on arriving at Croydon, took refuge in noncommittal phrases: “I want to go home by steamer. He (Levine) was to fly. I am going by steamer; he is going by air, so everything’s all right.” Thus these two intrepid men part company, and Levine faces a new difficulty. He does not speak a. word of French and Drouhin cannot speak a word of English. The question arises how will they fare on their thirty-six hours’ flight across the Atlantic? Levine says he is going to learn a few essential words of French, sufficient to enable them to understand each other. In the background, it is reliably stated there lurks Chamberlain’s doubt as to the practicability of bridging the Atlantic, from this side. Chamberlain say: “We have accomplished what we set out for. It is unnecessary to take further chances.” Levine remarks: “Chamberlain may have his own reasons why he will not take “Miss Columbia” back to America. That is his business. We have, I suppose, ended our association, but that is no reason why we should not remain friends.” It is curious to note a difference between Chamberlain’s and Lindbergh’s Inmbia,” which arrived with an esered at Croydon to welcome “Miss Coreception. Only a few people gathcort of two trans-Channel aeroplanes. Tt certainly is to be regretted that two intrepid aviators should close their journov with such a disagreement.