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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19865, 13 June 1927, Page 7

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A TRIUMPHAL WELCOME Hundreds of Thousands Welcome Captain Lindbergh WASHINGTON GOES MAD “AMBASSADOR WITHOUT PORTFOLIO” [By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright! Received June 12, 8 p.m. (A. & N Z.) WASHINGTON, June 11. The most stupendous welcojne ever accorded any individual American was given Captain Lindbergh on his arrival in the cruiser Memphis. Practically the entire population of tho capital and hundreds of thousands of visitors, many of whom had lined the streets since dawn, broke into a huge roar of greeting and continued cheering in a fine frenzy of excitement from the moment tho vessel appeared in sight. Tho dirigible Los Angeles, with scores of Government and private airplanes, escorted the Memphis into dock Guns and sirens from launches and other craft and from shore sainted the airman as the cruiser proceeded up tho Potomac, and the Presidental salute of 21 guns was fired at Alexandria, a seaport on the right bank of the Potomae five miles southward from the capital. Captain Lindbergh’s mother was first to board the cruiser, where Robert Nungesser, brother of the lost French airman, also greeted Captain Lindbergh. The famous airman was escorted al the head of a great parade through th< city, and President Coolidge bestowed on him the distinguished Flying Cross. When decorating the airman, Mr Coolidge referred to him as “our ambassar dor without portfolio” and said: “Tn showering applause and honours apou this genial modest American youth, with the naturalness, simplicity and poise of true greatness, France has tho opportunity to show clearly hex good will for America.” Mr Coolidge paid a high tribrxte to Captain Lindbergh’s refusal to enmmercialise his feat. Captain Lindbergh has to face a week-end crowded with functions and celebrations after which he is due in New York, on Monday for a mammoth welcome, which, it is expected, will exceed even Washington’s effort. 1 The latest offer made to Captain Lindbergh is a salary of 100,000 dollars a year as head of the American Society for. the Promotion of Aviation, on which no decision is yet announced.