SIR KEITH SMITH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 5

SIR KEITH SMITH

CIVIC RECEPTION. The Town Hall Concert Chamber was filled, to its capacity on Saturday morning, when the Mayor accorded a reception to Sir Keith Smith, the famous aviator, now on a fleeting visit to 'New Zealand. ' Mr. Luke referred'to the courage, daring, experiness, and capacity of Siy Keith Smith and his brother, Sir Ross Smith, and said that they wero the embodiment of that pluck and determination of -character-inherent in the British character. It was a splendid thing to think that, after serving their King and country faithfully during the war in Europe they should have carried off the • blue ribbon of aviation. Their feat demanded enormous courage, endurance, and capacity. It reflected honour and glory on Australia. . (Applause.) Mr. ~F. W.' Nicholson, president of the Australian Club, said ho was very proud and gratified at the success of- Sir Ross end Sir Keith Smith. Their flight from England was the. finest feat ever accomplished in aviation. On behalf of the Australian Club and the "Aussies" in Wellington, he gave Sir Keith Smith a hearty welcome.

On being called upon to - epenk, the Mayor of Christchurch (Dr. Thacker) said that as a representative of the South Island lie was delighted to join with the people of Wellington in according tho visitor a welcome. Although tho visitor was a. great &port, and his brother was a sport, the two mechanics, who were the physicians and surgeons of their engines, were also sports, and deserved just as much credit as they (the Smiths) did.

Sir .Keith Smith, after formally expressing his thanks for the welcome, said that the two mechanics had always been given a full share of the credit. Some people thought that they "laid it on too thick," but he did not think so. They shared the dangers, and-'also the prize money,' equally between tho four. Ho ■did not mention that in any boastful way, ■but just to show how his brother and himself felt about it. (Applause.' Evory- ■ one had been more than kind, and all >ho could say was—"Thank you!" The flight arose out of a dinner which wasattended by Mr. William Hughes (Prime Minister of tho Commonwealth), and some flying officers. Someone mentioned the subject of getting home when the war ended—it was then tho middle of 1918, and no one knew when the war would end. One man suggested flying home, a remark that was greeted with laughter at. tho time. The idea, however, took root, and it was suggested to Mr. Hughes thqt the Australian Government should oiler a substantial inducement for airmen to try.Mr. Hughes thought the idea a good one, and in February of last 'year the Commonwealth Government offered JBIO.OOO subject to certain rules and regulations, the chief of which was that competing airmen must be Australianborn. His brother flow out to India, and went to the East Indies to look out a possible route. When ho returned to Calcutta, it was to find that his machine had been taken for bombing work on tho Afghan front, and had been wrecked in a storm. He went 'on to England, and there they- joined forces and resolved "to have ago for tho big money." Impressed with the trans-Atlantic, flight, they conclude]. that the Vimy machine was the best for long-distance flying; and so approached Yickers, Ltd. The firm was not keen on it at first, Tiut afterwards entered into the spirit of the thing, and gave: them a wonderful machine. After all, there was nothing to touch the allBritish manufactured mnchino. After Viokers, Ltd., they had to thank all the people who had assisted them on the journey—Hindus,. Buriiesa, Siamese, and Dutch—without whose willing and generous aid they would nover have sucoseded in winning through. Once again he thanked the Mayor and Wellington public for the warm welcome which had been accorded him. (Applause.)