ALWAYS FLY.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1930, Page 3

ALWAYS FLY.

STORIES DEPRECATED,

AMY JOHNSON’S FUTURE,

SYDNEY, June 26. Miss Amy Johnson, who has received such wonderful receptions in Australia, following on her remarkable lone flight from England to the Commonwealth, lias not found unalloyed; .pleasure in the . jhremendpus

publicity to which she has been subjected. Over much lias been made of the gifts she lias- received,, and it is apparent that this has placed her in an embarrassing position. She ha? in a way resented the repeated references to the £10,060 contract she has received from the London “Daily Mail,” to her fur coats, her lingerie, and. the other hundred and one things that''have coined her- way. In Melbourne the. other . day she chastised the . guilty parties—newspapers- for the most part. Then/ the newspapers have found Miss Johnson excellent “copy” so why blame them ?

It started when Miss Johnson was lacked whether she (had made any plans for the future. “Plans!” she laughed. “I hav 0 not had time to think an hour ahead, let alone months and years ahead. I only know for certain that I am in for a jolly hard eight months when I get back and start on that contract with the “Daily Mail.” All that most people seem to ithilt^' J qf:1k;:Eie;;;£I0'C)l)() that I am to "be’-paid 4-or -4‘t. r -’-'But‘-T- shan’t got that _un£iE..the.-.^niE..of, thpv-ejght months, and in the meantime I shall be at -the “E-aily Mail’s” -,beck,, running-. here,*'tlie|e,'- And everywhere. It-i.-H?oi’ng to “'be Toll v lYa’rcT work, I can tell you.”:.. ~ ** Cl •? •-

The girl flyer suddenly stopped •hqr laughter to add'ivith blue eyes harden rug to uted grey: “And while on the subject of m6nev T would like to say -that I-regard -it- as- most humiliating to have, all, thpsq nc.wspapqr additions as'to how much, money I have been given, and how many fur coats and frocks and lingerie. Somoone or other published an addition to show that I had received money in Australia amounting to more than £2OOO. And' then to make it look bigger added the “Daily Mail’s” £IO,OOO, which I shall jolly well have earned by the time I get it. As for fur coats, I have been given one. As jJSor clotihe? ?gQneraHyji: .1 - lia-vp spent £3OO on 'plqfches since ‘[l A ajij-'ived : i'< in Anstya-liai;!' (Jijftsl".rertainly j jhfvfe ; been niad’e.. : to; ;mc| :■ dn<£ Aery f Hfc6fpnes'/ too-, hut!l? d6;/not) at, -all-taippj’bci.ate’ -tjiij! exaggerate stories ! which ;$p ■. t many people repeat-.” !/ .'.•£ ,< , /rY The conversatiWHretprned s again’ to. the future. “Of course,”, -shh-.-''was asked, “You will go on flyihg as soon as the, ‘Daily. Mail’ ....contract is finished.- 1 - , -

'•‘‘Her eyes blazed 'blue ‘again, 4 hut there was no sign of laughter in her voice when she replied, determinedly: *T shall never. give up flying. Never, never!” She is now sitting for her portrait in oil by the notable- Australian“painter, Sir John Longstaff.

It is- of interest to study Miss Johnson’s. message to the -children of Australia, for it gives an insight into the character of the girl whose speeches have so favourably .. impressed. the people of Australia, stamping her as a girl of no mean intelligence. Her message was : “Many were the precautions I- took to ensure a. safe passage from, England to- Australia, in' my little•Jasonj not the least of- which was-that I made every effort to learn not only how to fly the machine, but also how to keep, i.t, in good condition, as,, well,, as" cafl&fnily cliodsi ng the" best 'aind Saf-‘ .est .. route..... It was such. a., splendid adventure, inasmuch as it was another dink tin our . great Empire, another link formed between Australia and England and I cannot help thinking how worthwhile it was to concentrate on this, having avoided foolish undertakings in the past, which, while they might have given mo a momentary thrill, mi gilt also have cost me some injury which would ha-ve prevented me from flying to Australia. That would have lost to me the finest adventure it is possible for a girl to have had. I urge you, too, to avoid the foolish adventures so that when ■your opportunity .gkises, of wheh you make an opportunity/as I‘.did, yo.ti' wilt be prepared and/ fit. .foy/it.”: h