SMITH AND THE TURKS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1931, Page 5

SMITH AND THE TURKS

WAS A PRISONER !

i United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. ]

LONDON, October 3

Air-Commodore King-b.nl hmith’s own slo.y of now he was made a prisoner by the Turks was told Billowing his arrival at Athens. Smithy arrived at Tatoi Aerodrome tired, but undaunted at 7 o’clock in the evening. An anxious hand of watchers awaited his arrival. When he descended from his machine alter a perfect landing the crowd dashed to greet him.

After a formal welcome from trie authorities and members of the Greek Aviation Corps, Smithy was escorted to the aerodrome retaurant where he related his experiences.

‘‘l cannot beat Mollison’s record now,” he said, ‘‘but I intended to beat him in the return flight from England The machine behave d splendidly. I have every oofldonee tha tl shall succeed when I try again. ‘T was twenty-four hours in front of Mollison when 1 arrived at Busline, bnt the landing at Milas spoilt everything. “When I landed there the Turkish police seemed to appear from nowhere. They treated tne as a suspicions charactr. I was tillable even to telegraph to friends or let thorn know when I would ho able to leave, ! T wag kept a virtual prisoner in a room at an hotel, Two sentinels stoods outside the door and I was ordered not to communicate with anyone,

“The police inflicted upon me interminable interrogations. They specially wanted to know why 1 landed at Milas and not somewhere else. “Finally they said I must wait until the Government at Angora gave me permission to leave. The permission came this morning, so I was able t„ continue. 1 hope to start for Rome at 9 o’clock in 'the morning.” Smithy admitted that illness compelled his descent at Milas. He is evidently still far from well, as the result of sunstroke while flying across India. The fatigue of the record-break ing flight and the efloets of the sunstroke caused violent headaches and temporarily impaired his nervous system. Only by indomitable will power had he flown so far. when obviously a sick man. He says he will obtain medical attention after his arri ml m London.

SMITH'S REGRETS. WILL TRY FOR RETURN RECORD. ANTHEMS October 2. Kingsford Smith reports that he is a very sad man, as this is the first time he has let his aeroplane down, and he cannot understand what is the matter with him, except that the after effects of sunstroke are most disconcerting. He hopes to be all right for an attempt at the record the other way. His enforced delay at Milas Was possibly for the best, as ho believes that an endeavour to continue while he was so sick might have been disastrous. SMITH RESTARTING TO-DAY. ATHENS, October 3. Kingsford Smith is spending two days with the Director of the A acuum Oil Company at Phaleron . He is also consulting an American nerve specialist. He hopes to proceed to England on October sth, TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT. PANCBORN AND HERNDON t START OUT. TOIvIO, October 4.

The American airmen, Pangborn and Herndon, too off from the Fahushiro Reach at seven o’clock this morning on a Pacific non-stop flight. They are hopeful of establishing a world’s distance record. . 1