TAKING FEW DAYS' REST

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 83, 5 October 1931, Page 7

TAKING FEW DAYS' REST

STORY OF MILAS HOLD-UP

TROUBLE WITH TUEKS

United Tross Association—By Electric Teie- ■ eraph—CopyrteliU ■ ATHENS, 4th October. Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith is spending a few days with a director of the Vacuum Oil Company at Phaleroa, the seaside- suburb of Athens. He is also consulting an American nerve specialist. He hopes to proceed to England on sth October. Smith arrived at the Tatoi aerodrome (a few miles north of Athens) tired but undaunted at 7 o 'clock in the evening. An anxious band of watchers awaited his arrival. When he descended from his machine after a perfect landing the crowd dashed to greet him, and after a formal welcome from the authorities and members of the Greek Aviation Corps ho was escorted to the aerodrome restaurant, where he related his experiences. "I cannot beat Mollison's record now, but I intend to beat him on the return flight from England," he said. "The machine behaved splendidly, and I have every confidence that I shall succeed when I try again. I was 24 hours in front of Mollison when I arrived at Bushire, but the landing at Milas spoilt everything. PRISONER UNDER GUARD. ' "When I landed there the Turkish police seemed to appear from, nowhere. They treated mo as a suspicious character, and I was unable oven to telegraph to my friends or to let them know when I would be. able to leave. "I was kept a prisoner in the room of a hotel. Two sentinels stood outside the door, and I was ordered not to communicato with anyone. "The police-inflicted upon me interminable interrogations.- Especially they wanted to know why I landed at Milaa and not somewhere else. Finally they said that I must wait until the Government of Angora • gave mejpermission to leave. Permission came this morning, so I was able 'to continue.; I hope to start for Rome at 9 o'clock in the morning." Smith admitted that illness compelled his descent at Milas. Evidently h© v still far from well as a result of sunstroke while flying across India and the fatigue of the record-breaking flight. The effects of the sunstroke caused violent headaches. and temporarily impaired his nervous system.' Only > his indomitable will enabled him to fly so far when obviously he was a sick man. He says that he will obtain medical attention after, his arrival in London.