HOW LINDBERGH KEPT FAITH WITH A PAPER.

Shannon News, 15 November 1929, Page 3

HOW LINDBERGH KEPT FAITH WITH A PAPER.

STORY OF LONE FLIGHT. Lindbergh started out from New York on his Atlantic flight with a contract with the New York Times for a very fair sum of money to be paid to him for the story of his trip. The contract was made, as newspapers make contracts with fliers, with various payments to be made, according as the flight might be accomplished, partially or completely. If Lindbergh had not completed his fligtht to Paris the Times stood to lose a comparatively small sum If he completed his flight both the Times and Lindbergh stood to win much larger sums. But neither Lindbergh nor the Times could possibly realise in advance the great newspaper value of the completion Of the flight plus tho personality of Colonel Lind'bergh.

Therefore a most pleasing incident occurred —pleasing in the sense that it showed the inherent decency of a great personage and a great newspaper,) (writes the Saturday Evening Posf"). Colonel Lindbergh, upon arriving in Paris, received from a newspaper syndicate an offer of 100,000 dollars for the story of his flight across the Atlantic. As soon as he could disentangle himself from the drumfire of publicity that boat upon him—a strange thing to him then, and a strange thing to him now—he cabled the Times that he was under contract to it for a sum much less than 100,000 dollars, but that, of course, he purposed sticking by his contract.

At the same time the Times wired Lindbergh that neither he nor it had realised in advance the news value of his accomplishment, and that therefore the times was prepared to release him to the larger reward. ? The messages almost crossed. Lindbergh stood by his contract, and refused to accept the release. The Times made every effort to see that he should not lose by this fulfilment of faith. It sold the story of his flight to newspapers all over the United States, in Europe, and in South America. It bore all the heavy cost of selling the story and of delivering it to its journalistic clients.

Wlhen Lindbergh arrived in the United States the Times handed him a cheque for mere than half, of the 100,000 dollars that he had been gallant enough to refuse.