AIRMAN AS LECTURER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143978, 21 December 1912, Page 6

AIRMAN AS LECTURER.

A DISCOURAGING .START. LONDON, Dec. 12. M. Vedrines, the French aviator who came into prominence last year by winning the great air race from Paris to Madrid, has just had a lively experience at the hands of his old friends the Socialists.

The famous airman was a socialist himself once. Ho joined them when ho was nothing more important than a mechanic, but afterwards when he had made his name in the aviation world ho ceased to bo a member of the great brotherhood. However; if he had forgotten the socialists, the socialists had not forgotten him, as he soon discovered last night at St. Denis, near Paris, where he was to have delivei'od the first of a scries of lectures on his aerial adventures. Tho socialists rolled up in great force, but it was not to encourage their old comrade by their presence and friendly applause that they attended in such large numbers. It was with quite another object that they \vero there. ’ Vedrines had just about got under way with his subject when the socialists revealed the purpose of their visit. They began by imitating the cries_ of various animals, and otherwise making it impossible for the lecturer to be heard. Vedrines over and over again to be allowed to : proceed, but unavailingly. Every time ho attempted to go on with his story tho outbreak was renewed, until finally the organised interruption developed into such an uproar that the luckless airman was compelled to quit the platmif the socialists in other towns' take tt'ie cue from their brethren in St. Denis, M. Vedrines’ lecturing tour is likely to come to ah abrupt termination.