THE PLYING PREMIER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 16 January 1917, Page 6

THE PLYING PREMIER

'. MR MASSEY IN THE AIR. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in the Field.) After Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph AVard had completed their'tour of the trenches on the Somme Front, the cars whisked off by devious ways' through the beautiful uplands to tho , headquarters of the now famous Royal Flying Corps. Of all that was seen there it is not advisable to give details. We arrived at the vast aerodrome, and as the noise of our cars ceased we heard similar noises overhead. Looking up ye saw machines iii great numbers fl.v r ing hither and thither, banking: gracpfully, or coming to earth again with easy, oirrl-likc motion. On the level grass lands just behind the huge irnnir shop and tho great hangars a biplorm canie_ down from the 'sky, and, with whirring propeller, skimmed along the ground till it came to rest beside us. Out of this machine: stepped a cleanshaven, keen-faced General. Divesting himself of his leather coat and skull cap, antt his muffler, ho handed them to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who quickly donned them and took his place in tho peat just vacated. An attendant spt tho propcllp.r in motion again, and in les? time than it takes to write it the Premier was in the nir and flving swiftly boynnd the ar>ro- , drome. Rpd-facod, with the keen wind of fast movement he, came to earth ntnin nloascd with his novel t.hn flvinir iripn dnolarinc that '»" i"i n rp.il "snort." During the fliglif ho I'nrl hpird Hip t>ilot plimitiiiK tn bun, Init had not hpard wliat. ho vas sa'yi'if. On returning to mother pnrtli \>n !>»lcpcl him what it. was nil about. "Oh." rp- . plied tho pilot, "I was nnlv <lir"d,'ntr : vonr attention to tho fnct that I w:<* flving with niv hands off the co'itrnls." i Tlic Prime Minister of New Zpalnml. like tho rest, of us, will now take ol. :