PUBLICITY AND HISTORY

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1928, Page 4

PUBLICITY AND HISTORY

(Cliristchureh “Press.'')

The reminder in the cable news resell I!y that the Atlantic, was flown by two Englishmen in 1919, and that their average speed of 118 miles an hour has still to he beaten, will make many thinking people ponder on the way in which history is made (or written). It is no belittlement of a most courageous and skilful aviator to say ' that the achievement of the two FJnglisliment nine years ago was a much more remarkable one than that of Colonel Lindbergh last year, since both air navigation and aeroplane construction have made enormous strides in the intervals. let while most of us have forgotten that the Atlantic was flown in 19i9, and while tho names or those who made the flight have sunk into oblivion, Colonel Lindbergh has been enshrined by his countrymen as a national institution •rivalling m importance the Gettysburg Address or the Statue of Liberty Few .people would suggest that Colonel Lindbergh has been honoured more than he deserves, hut while fame is valued among men, there is an obligation on all of us to see that it goes where it is due, and in proportion as it is due. When someone a century hence comes to write the history of aviation in our age—and n vastly interesting history it will be—lie may easily, from an examination of contemporary documents, conclude that Colonel Lindbergh is the greatest figure of the period, and Alooek and Brown will he lucky if they arc mentioned. Tho reason of course is that the publicity arrangements of the Englishmen's hackers were faulty. Lindbergh, on tlio other hand, was lucky enough T.<> fly the- Atlantic at n time when the American newspaper combines, owing to a slack season, were “featuring” long distance flights. Somo will conclude from this that tho modern age is remarkable for a warped scale of values and that its judgments are determined mainly by publicity “stunts,” hut a little reflection will suggest that the public always lias been erratic in conferring its favours. ' \

Dr Stefansson, who has claims on the historians himself, has pointed ont that, although it has been established beyond doubt that the Norsemen visited America somewhere about 900 A.D., nothing can diminish the fame of Columbus. “Christopher Columbus is the discoverer of America,” he says, “chiefly because lie and what he was supposed to have done got the right preliminary publicity. Marco Polo and others had reminded Europe afresh of the riches of the East. Desert raiders, fairly well Prcss-agented for those days, were making more dangerous the overland routes which hud always been dangerous. Then, at the psychological moment, Columbus sailed westward with all his other publicity advantages strenghtened by the most fashionable royal backing then available in Europe.” Such instances of the unreliability of the world’s judgments are easy to multiply, 'but there is this consolation—that those who are most deserving of fame worry least about.