Brownsville herald. [volume], March 08, 1929, Airport Edition, AIRPORT, Image 15

About Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current

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FACILITIES OF
CITY AIRPORT
MOSTMODERN
Field Is Planned And
Equipped to Provide
For Both Night And
Day Flying
Providing all necessary facilities
for^day and night flying, the
BriflUville municipal airport, now
tw^nternational gateway between
the United States, Mexico and all
of Latin America, has the distinc
tion of being the largest municipal
airport in the South.
The total area is 488.4 acres—one
mile by three-fourts of a field—lo
cated on a concrete road 5 miles
east of the Brownsville postoffice,
i The landing area within the boun
dary is 4,000 feet square. This en
tire area is available for landing,
and is being sodded.
The first runway, 2,500 by 100
feet has been completed, and 1500
feet of the second finished. These
are constructed with a coarse gravel
base, topped with fine gravel com
pacted by rolling.
Buildings completed since wwk
on the airport started in October.
1928. include a large hangar, ad
ministration building, substation,
implement shed, and home for the
manager. A second hangar is in the
course of construction, and will be
available by April.
1 Ample Hangar Space
The first hangar is 80 by 100 feet
in size, 18 feet in height, construct
ed of steel with 4-inch concrete
floor. It has a lean-to 12 by 20
feet, used for shop purposes. The
second hangar, for which the foun
dation has been completed, will be
102 by 120 feet in size. 18 feet high.
1 constructed entirely of steel, with
concrete floor. A lean-to. for re
pair and machine shop, 12 by 120
feet, also will be constructed. The
contract calls for completion of the
second hangar by April 1.
The administration building, stuc
co construction, Spanish design with
patio, is located to the south of the
first hangar. It includes reception
and passenger waiting rooms, ladies’
and men’s rest rooms, sleeping
quarters, first aid room. American
and Mexican customs, immigration
and health departments, offices, ad
ministration office, and the ob
servation tower from which the
airport’s lighting system is con
trolled.
The sub-station building com
prises three compartments, one
housing all high voltage trans
formers, switches, etc., which are
under remote control from the ob
servation tower. Another compart
ment houses the serving station of
fice. oil room and electrically op
erated gasoline pumps. The third
comnartment houses the fire truck
aj^ft'ambulance.
All Facilities Modem
The airport manager's residence,
(Continued on Page 11)
MANY TOWNS
REMARKED
4,500 Communities Place
Prominent Signs Up
For Aviators
i "
One of the great needs of avia
tion—the nation-wide identifica
tion of towns and cities of roof
markings—is now rapidly being ful
filled, according to Harry G. Gug
genheim, president of the Daniel
Guggenheim Fund for the Promo
tion of Aeronautics.
Since the fund began its nation
wide roof-marking campaign last
fall in co-operation with the post
office department and department
of commerce, letters and bulletins
of instructions have been sent to
nearly 8.000 postmasters in towns
of between about 1.000 and 50,000
people asking them to take the in
itiative in seeing that their town
was marked in this manner by
some civic organization of indidual.
About 1.200 communities have re
plied that they already were identi
fied; 600 have reported that they
had completed identification as a
result of the fund’s project; and a
little over 2,700 state that the work
is now under way. The fund has
sent a certificate of appreciation
1 signed by Col. Charles A. Lind
i bergh to the organization or indi
vidual responsible for the work in
those communities which have
completed identification.
“Out of 7.500 communities wherl
aerial identification is particularly
desirable, the work is cither com
pleted or under way in mire than
i 4.500,” Guggenheim stated. “This
leaves a tital of about 3,000 towns
not yet marked so as to indicate
the route or locality for an air pilot,
^^^fund is no wactively corre
l iVing with these communities,
i which have been retarded
1 in tnimvork due to the cold weath
er. and it is hoped that within the
next three months the United
States will be properly and ade
quately provided with sign posts for
nviation.
“As the use of the airplane has
been extended, as it becomes a ve
hicle for transportation not only
for commercial enterprise, but for
the private individual, town identi
fication increases in importance.
The fund has received the enthus
, iastic co-operation of the nation’s
i industries, particularly the rail
roads, the oil companies and the
Ford Motor company, and also of
the civic and social clubs such as
the chambers of commerce, the
American legion, the Rotary, the
Kiwanis ,the Lions and the Ex
change. The technical depelop
ment of the airplane today has
reached a high stage of perfection,
and its usefulness must not be held
back by the lack of ordinary navi
gation facilities such as roof-mark
ings, airports and airways.”
MANAGER
Les Mauldin, manager of the
Brownsville airport, is an ex
perienced pilot and plane me
chanic, serving in the air corps
throughout the war. He has
been connected with aviation
development in various capaci
ties since retiring from the
army air service.
BORDER DRAWS
NOTED PILOTS
Airmen of Brownsville Port
Have Seen Many Years
Of Service
The Mexican border, ever attrac
tive to those in whom the spirit of
adventure burns, has brought to the
Brownsville municipal airport an
assemblage of noted pilots whose
biographies would read like fiction,
and whose adventurous careers have
taken them to the four comers of
the world.
Among the pilots flying planes
from the municipal airport are men
who fought the German squadrons
on the western front; who have pi
loted planes in the skies of Asia,
Africa, Europe and almost every
country on the western hemisphere.
They are a keen-eyed, alert; men
of quick decision, unquestioned
courage; who in the hum-drum of
commercial flying find vent for that
spirit of adventure and conquest
which led them, years ago to take
up the profession of aviation.
Among them are men whose chris
grown grey in the service of the air;
men who clambered into the cock
pits and manipulated the controls
of the earliest type of heavier than
air machines. That they survived
the experience is in itself a tribute
to their skill.
Among trem ire men wrose chris
tening in the air service was under
the shell fire of German guns; oth
ers received their earliest training
in the days of the “barnstormer/
and there is not one who has not
encountered in a full measure the
adventures and thrlls which fall tc
the lot of the plane pilot.
Major B. A. Law, president of the
Brownsville International Aviation
school, is dean of the Browmsville
pilots. Formerly in the army air
service, commander of Ellington
Field at Houston, he has served over
12 years in the United States and
on the western front in France. As
sociated writh him is Hughie Rusch
enberg, with a record of seven years
in the commercial sendee, who now
is chief instructor pilot of the
school. Kenneth Matthews, stu
dent pilot, also is secretary-treasur
er of the school.
With the Universal Air Lines,
making headquarters here, is Cap
tain Robert Rentz and C. R. Sin
clair. both old-time war pilots with
many years of continuous service,
and with the Kenyon Transporta
tion Co. is R. S. Riggs, who has had
seven years in the commercial air
service and is rated as one of the
most experienced pilots.
Les Mauldin, manager of the air
port. also is a pilot. During the
war he served as a mechanic in the
air service, and shortly after se
cured his pilot’s license. Four years
of “barnstorming” in Mexico is in
cluded in his aerial experience.
Pilots for the International Air
Transportation Co., with headquar
ters here, are Captain Ralph Stone,
ex-army pilot who has seen consid
erate foreign service and James
Mattern. Stimson factory pilot, who
has had years of experience in army
and commercial flying. He served
for some time in China.
Captain Lyle W. Throw, former
armv pilot with war service, and
E. C. Bowe. commercial pilot with
years of experience, are handling
the Mexican Aviation Co. planes
from the Brownsville port. They
will fly the Mexican and American
air mail planes from Brownsville to
the Mexican capital.
Charles Lpche. former army pilot
is commander of an “Air King”
plane operating from the local air
port. and A. D. Durst. wTho “learned
the trick” in England, is piloting a
Curtis Robin for C. A. Neitert. Rob
ert Guerranf . who does general com
mercial flying, has had six years
experience and was co-pilot with
Captain Medraza. on the Mexican
good will flight over the South last
year.
Retail Merchants
Adds Floor Space
After Big Growth
The Retail Merchants association,
after one month in Brownsville,
has grown to such an extent that
it has been forced to acquire addi
tional office space in the Cromack
building. Bernadine Price, secre
tary. made it known today. The
bureau now employs six people, a
stenographer having been added to
the staff this week.
The bureau reports a fine spirit
of cooperation by the merchant
members of the organization, and
expects great results from its pro
gram of work for 1922*
CITY AIRPORT
GETS HIGHEST
Every Specification of
Department of Com
merce Followed In
Equipping Port
--
If Brownsville is to develop a
great international port, every
necessary facility must be provided
was the conclusion reached by the
Brownsville city commission when
they accepted the mandate of
Brownsville voters to construct a
municipal port.
Realizing in full the advantageous
location of Brownsville on the bor
der, the most southerly city on the
mainland of the United States, and
the potentialities of the city as a
gateway to Latin America, the city
commission reached the conclusion
that it would be necessary to supply
a port that would meet every re
quirement.
The first move wras to seek the co
operation of the engineers of the
army service and the department of
commerce. Acting upon their ad
vice the city purchased the 488-acre
field, assuring ample space to meet
all requirements of the future. They
next decided upon the A-l-A rating
of the department of commerce as
the goal, a rating which will place
the BrowTisville port in the highest
class among the big ports of the
world.
The A-l-A rating tesignates only
the highest class airports, ports of
ample size, with buildings meeting
! every need, and equipment with a
complete lighting system. The first
“A” of the rating covers the general
equipment and facilities: the “1”
designates the size, and the second
“A” the equipment for night flying.
The A-l-A rating indicates that the
airport has all necessary equipment
in the way of buildings and pro
visions for servicing planes; that
there is ample landing room for
planes with all-weather take-off,
and that it has standard equipment
for night flying.
An airport to secore the first “A”
rating most have one or more
hangars at lea$t 80 by 100 feet with
full width doors; one or more wind
indicators; repair equipment suf
ficient to permit changing of en
gines and for major engine and
plane repairs: weather instruments;
complete first aid equipment; fire
fighting equipment; sleeping quar
ters; sufficient personnel of attend
ants; waiting and rest rooms and
restaurant or other source of food
supply.
To secure the A-l rating the
specifications provide a landing area
of at least 2,500 feet in all directions,
with clear approaches, the field to
be in good condition for landing at
all times. Ample runways to assure
all-weather takeoff must be pro
vided.
The second “A” of the rating,
which applies to night flying equip
ment, provides that the port must
be equipped with a beacon light of
not less than 100,000 candle now’er;
an illumination wind direction in
dicator: complete svstem of boun
dary lights, and flood lights, the
rays of which cover the landing
field: red obstruction liehts on all
buildings; hangar flood lights; and
ceiling projector, all lighting equip
ment to be centrally controlled.
Every provision of the department
specifications has been comnlied
with, and in several cases amnlified.
in equioping the Brownsville air
port. The landing field, is far more
ample than provided in the specifi
cations. a fact which is appreciated
by the pilots of the numerous planes
utlizine the port, and all lighting
equipment installed has been of a
higher class than that snecified by
the department. Buildings and
general equipment also exceed the
specifications, with a second hangar
in the course of construction to
handle the rapidly increasing vol
ume of business.
OFFICIAL ON PLANE
W. L. • Morrison, transportation
manager of the Mexican Aviation
company, was to be aboard the
plane carrying air mail here from
Mexico City today, acording to ad
vices at the chamber of commerce.
The plane was to arrive at 3 p. m. I
THE SCHEDULE
The schedule for the mail be
tween Brownsville and Dallas is
announced by the postoffice de
partment as follows:
Southbound—
Leave Dallas .7:45 a.m.
Leave Ft. Worth.8:15 a.m.
Leave Waco .9:20 a. m
Leave Austin .10:25 a.m.
Leave San Antonio.11:20 a.m.
Arrive Brownsville .... 2:05p.m.
Northbound—
Leave Brownsville . 1:25 p.m.
Leave San Antonio.... 4:15p.m.
Leave Austin .5:10 p.m.
Leave Waco . 6:15 p.m.
Leave Ft. Worth.7:15 p.m.
Arrive Dallas .7:35 p.m.
The schedule for the American
air mail to Mexico City is as
follows:
Leave Brownsville .... 7:30a.m.
Arrive Tampico .10:00 a.m.
Leave Tampico .10:30a.m.
Arrive Mexico City_12:45 p.m.
Following is the schedule for
the Mexican air mail:
Leave Medico City.... 7:45a.m.
Arrive Tampico .10:15 a.m.
Leave Tampico .10:45 a.m.
Arrive Brownsville ... 1:15p.m.
LINE WILL CUT
TIMETO EAST
Mexican Air Mail To Be
Delivered In New York
In 36 Hours
Inauguration of the air mail ser
vice from Mexico City to New York
via Brownsville will assure 36-hour
service between the Mexican capital
and the Atlantic coast commercial
center, according to a joint an
nouncement by the American and
Mexican postal officials.
Mail leaving Mexico City at 7:45
a. m., will arrive in Brownsville at
1:15 p. m., and leave for the north
at 1:25 p. m., with only ten min
utes delay at the border. It will
arrive in New York City early the
following evening.
Daily service will begin on March
9, with Colonel Charles A. Lind
bergh flying the inaugural trip.
The schedule, as announced by
George Rihl. president of the Mex
ican Aviation Corporation, calls for
departure from Brownsville daily
and Sunday at 7:30 a. m. and ar
rival at Tampico, Mexico, at 10 a. m.
Planes will leave Tampico at 10:30
a. m. and arrive in Mexico City at
12:45 p. m. On the Brownsville
Tampico leg the flying equipment
will be Fairchild single-motored
Wasp planes, capable of carrying
six passengers or an equivalent
weight in mail.
On the mountainous route be
tween Tampico and Mexico City
tri-motored Ford planes will be used,
with a carrying capacity of twelve
passengers, or approximately 3,000
pounds.
The passenger fare between
Brownsville and Tampico will be
100 Mexican pesos, or $50 American,
and 200 pesos, or $100, between
Brownsville and Mexico City. The
mail contract under which the line
will operate was awarded at $2 a
mile.
Speed Passenger Service
With the new line in operation,
Mr. Rihl pointed out, mail leaving
New York at 9 p. m. will be deliver
ed in Mexico City at noon of the
second day and in Merida. Yucatan,
to which point the Mexican Avi
ation Corporation has operated from
Vera Cruz since October 15. 1928,
on the afternoon of the fourth day.
When arrangements for carrying
passengers are completed, probably
before the end of the year, by Pit
cairn Aviation. Inc., which now op
erates the mail link between New
York and Atlanta, the same speedy
facilities will be available to pas
sengers. The train mail and pas
senger time from New York to
Mexico City is now ten days and the
steamer time to Yucatan ten days.
Pending the entry of Pitcairn into
the passenger-carrying field it will
be possible after March 9 for a trav
eler to leave New York by train at
8:40 p.m., pass the following night ir>
Atlanta, travel the next day over
the airway of the Gulf Airlines, Inc.,
to Brow’nsville via Birmingham, Mo
bile. New rleans and Houston, rest
over night at the northern ter
minus of the Mexican Aviation
Corporation, and arrive in Mexico
City at 12:45 o’clock on the after
noon of the third day. The com
bined rail and airplane fare will be
about $250.
DIRECTORS OF THE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
nr- —■■ ■ - ..- ■■ - '— v ■■ — -
Brownsville City Commission—Left to right: Mayor A. B. Cole; Commissioners A .C. Hipp. J. G.
Starck, J. A. Cobolini, Burt E. Hinkley; City Attorney H. B. Galbraith. The city commission, co-oper
ating with the Chamber of Commerce, has taken the leadership in development of the municipal airport.
Air Traffic of Many
Countries Will Flow
Through Border Port
Brownsville is destined to become
the most important gateway for
air traffic in the United States, is
the prediction of leaders in aviation
development who have inspected
the municipal airport and pro
nounced it the foundation upon
which the future air commerce be
tween the United States, Mexico
and all of Latin America will be
built.
Occupying a strategic position as
the most southerly city on the
mainland of the United States, on
ANNOUNCE SAN
ANTONIO RUN
Schedule For Air Passenger
Service In Effect Sat
urday, March 9
Air passenger serivce to San An
tonio will be inaugurated Saturday,
March 9. by the Texas Air Trans
port, Inc., was the announcement
Friday by J, H. Kelly of Fort
Worth, field manager for T. A. T.,
who has spent the week in Browns
ville making arrangements at the
municipal airport.
The Texas Air Transport, Inc.,
has the contract for the American
air mail from Brownsville north
tlr^igh San Antonio to Dallas. It
was recently merged with other
southwestern lines in the Southern
Airways, Inc., which includes the
St. Tammany line, holders of the
contract for eastern air mail from
Brownsville to Houston, NewT Or
leans and Atlanta.
The passenger service over the
T. A. T. to San Antonio will be
handled separately from the mail
service, Kelly stated. The company
will use 6-place Travelair cabin
planes for the passenger run. the
first of which is scheduled to ar
rive Friday afternoon. This plane
will leave Browrnsville at 3:30 p. m.
Saturday on the first flight of the
new,- passenger schedule.
Northbound passengers from
Mexico City, brought in over the
Mexican Aviation Co. line, will
make good connection here, the
plane from the south arriving at
1:15 p. m.. the northbound plane
leving at 3:30. Southbound pas
sengers will arrive in Brownsville
at 11 a. m„ and will wait over here
until 7:30 the next morning.
“We are planning to work out a
better schedule for southbound
passenger service,” Kelly said. “I
believe as soon as planes are
available we will operate a night1
(Continued on Tape 111
the low-altitude route between New
Orleans and the Panama canal,
the Brownsville aiport is being
constructed to provide for the
heavy traffic that will come over
this route as the air mail service
extends and the use of planes for
passenger service becomes more
general.
Brownsville is 490 miles south of
Dallas on an air line, and 440
miles north of Mexico City. The
city is only 145 miles from the
Tropic of Cancer, that imaginary
line marking the north boundary of
the tropic regions. Tampico, the
great oil port of Mexico, lies 260
miles to the south, and Monterrey,
the principal distributing center
for all of northern Mexico is 200
miles to the west.
Extend Service South
From Tampico southward the air
passenger service already has been
extended to Merida in Yucatan,
and Captain Ira C. Eaker. of Ques
tion Mark fame, on March 10 is ex
pected to chart the new all-over
land route from Brownsville to the
Panama Canal. Throughout Cen
tral and South America air lines
are developing with great rapidity,!
all of which are expected to form
connections with the main Ameri
can trunk line passing through this
city.
Westward from Brownsville ex
tends the air line to Monterrey,
Durango, Torreon and Mazatlan on
the Mexican west coast, conecting
the Gulf with the Pacific in eight
hours of flying. From Mazatlan
southward the Mexican government
proposes an air line touching all
principal points and extending to
the southern border.
Air lines have been established
between the Mexican capital and
Guatemala, and will be extended
from the Guatemalan capital down
the Pacific coast to connect with
the lines serving the South Ameri
can Pacific slope.
Converge at Border
In its relation to the American
air service. Brownsville is the
point through which all mail and
the major part of the passenger
and express traffic will flow. The
two American lines coming from
the north make connections with
all sections of the United States.
The San Antonio. Dallas. Kansas
City, Chicago line will receive all
mail from the west, and the New
York, Atlanta, New Orleans, Hous
ton line will bring into Brownsville
all mail from eastern sections.
From both the north and south
the air lines will converge at
Brownsville, making this the con
centration point through which will
flow’ the ever increasing volume of
business between the United States
and the republics of the Rio
Grande.
From New Orleans and Houston
the air route follows the coast and
the low-altitude route extends clear
(Continued on Page 11)
FIRST U. S. ACE
INSPECTS PORT
Paul Baer to Represent De
partment of Commerce
At Opening
Paul Frank Baer, intrepid pilot
of 12 years experience, commander
of a squadron of American “war
birds’1 in the heat of the fighting
on the western front, and recipient
of four decorations from American
and French governments, will rep
resent the U. S. department of
commerce at the dedication of the
Brownsville municipal airport.
The department has assigned
Baer to the district of Texas, and
it is his duty to examine and li
cense pilots and planes, to enforce
all aircraft rules, and to piomote
interest in aviation.
“Is Baer competent to handle
his work?” was the query put to
Major Bernard Law7 of Brownsville,
who has known Baer since 1916.
“Competent?” the major retorted.
“Baer has seen more real service
with planes than any other man
w7ith whom I ever came in con
tact. He has lived with them for
12 years.
“Baer will not tell you his ex
periences or how7 he received his
decorations All that the world
knows about Baer other than his
official work, is what his friends
tell, and there is not a pilot in the
service w7ho is not a friend and ad
mirer of Baer.
“In 1916 I was with Baer and we
were doing our bit with General
Pershing’s expeditionary forces in
Mexico. We became separated, ana
in February, 1917, Baer went to
Paris and enlisted in the French
Foreign Legion and was imme
diately assigned to the French air
service.
“He received training at A<*rd,
France, in the small but fast Bler
iot machines, and finished at Nieu
port. From that time on he was
one of the outstanding figures of
the conflict.
“In January, 1918. he wras trans
ferred to the 103rd American
squadron (Lafayette Escaaniie*,
and brought down his first Boone
plane on March 11. having the dis
tinction of being the first Ameri
can flier to bring down a plane
after the declaration of w7ar and
also the first American soldier to
receive the distinguished sendee
cross in the World war. Before
the month of March ended Lieu
tenant Baer was officially credited
with five enemy planes, and be
came the first American ace.
On May 22, 1918. Baer was snot
down over the German lines. Lead
ing his patrol of five over the
lines they were attacked by a Ger
man combat squadron of eight
planes, and the patrol was broken
up. Baer was badly wounded and
crashed back of the lines. He was
taken to the German hospital and
after recuperating was placed In a
military prison with 400 Russians.
Later he was transferred to Rn
(Continued on Page 11)
Brownsville Airport the Materialization of An Ambition for An International Gateway
The Brownsville municipal air
port. the international gateway be
tween the United States. Mexico
and all of Latin America is the
materialization of an ambition
which had its inception in the late
months of 1927, and was wrought
into a definite project through the
cooperation of the chamber of com
merce. city commission and citi
zenry of Brownsville.
The first definite move toward
construction of an airport took
form during the first days of 1928.
Prior to that time there had been
considerable discussion of the pro
ject by the chamber of commerce,
in informal meetings and on th3
streets, with various plans sug
gested. The embrovo project as
sumed definite form on January 24,
1928, when at a mass meeting at the
federal building, at which R. B.
Creager presided, over 300 citizens
went on record as favoring a muni
cipal aiiport. requesting the city
commission to call a bond issue to
finance construction.
The meeting was one of the most
notable in the history of the city.
Interest in the airport had been
roused to the point where pracically
every leading citizen was advocat
ing the project. There was per
fect harmony in the meeting, the
only cloud upon the horizon at that
time being the location of the port.
Call for Bond Issue
Resolutions passed at the meeting
called for submission of a bond is
sue to the voters of the city, the
resolution providing that the site
be designated before election.
Speaker after speaker urged prompt
action, pointing out that Browns
ville enjoyed peculiar geographic
advantages of great value and that
it was the duty of the city to take
advantage of them. R. B. Creager,
in opening the meeting, called at
tention to what was being accom
plished in Fort Worth and other
southern cities in connection with
the development of aviation, assert
ing that the Brownsville airport
would become the most important
international air gateway in the
South.
It is doubtful if any individual
in that meeting could foresee the
possibilities of the port and the im
mediate developmc \t of air traffic
which would follow construction.
Optimism was the keynote, but the
mast optimistic forecasts of future
development of air traffic through
the international gateway fell short
of the actual development.
Brownsville's objective at that
time was the routing of the Mexi
can and American air mail through
this port. Laredo also was a con
tender for the air mail route, and
through a combination of circum
stances in which Mexican politics
figured largely, secured the coveted
prize. This, however, did not in
the least allay the enthusiasm of
Brownsville citizens. They knew
that the low-altitude route even
tually wrould secure the designation
—that the immutable law of econ
omics eventually would set aside
the expediencies of politics—and
that a thorough trial of the Laredo
Monterrey route ould result in
establishment of the gateway
through Brownsville. i
Several sites were considered by
the city commission, all of which
offered exceptional advantages for
development of the municipal air
port. The site committee of the
chamber of commerce, consisting of
R. B. Creager, W. B. Clint, ,W. E.
McDavitt. John Gregg. J. G. Starck
and A. C. Hipp, carefully consid
ered the various locations, report
ing unanimously in favor of the
acreage in El Jardin later pur
chased by the city commission.
Options on this site, which com
prises 488.4 acres, was secured at an
average price of $90 per acre. This
site is located approximately five
miles east of the Brownsville post
office on the El Jardin boulevard,
the buildings being erected about
half a mile south of the boulevard,
t (Continued on Page 11)
RECORD CROWD
IS PREDICTED
FOR BIGEVENT
Preparations Complete
For 2-Day Celebra
tion Marking Open
ing Of Air Mail
Brownsville will be host Saturday
and Sunday, March 9 and 10, to
the largest assemblage in the his
tory of the lower border.
Preparations for the celebration,
which will mark the dedication of
the city’s municipal airport and in
auguration of five air mail lines,
have been practically completed.
The finishing touches were be
ing applied late today, and the air
port is in readiness for the throngs
that will assemble to greet Colonel
Charles Lindbergh, who will pilot
the first plane over the Browns
ville-Mexico City route; Captain
Ira C. Eaker, who will essay his
epochal dawn-to-dusk flight from,
the Brownsville airport to Panama,
on March 10; Miss Amelia Earhart,
first woman to fly the Atlantic,
and the scores of famous pilots and ’
American and Mexican notables
who will assemble in Brownsville
for the international event.
For weeks Brownsville has been
preparing for this celebration,
which it is believed will mark the
beginning of a new era of rapid
communication and better under
standing between the American
people and those of the Latin
American republics.
No expense has been spared by
the city commission in making the
Brownsville municipal aiport the
most efficient in the South, and
they propose that the dedication
celebration be worthy of the port
and the great international event
it will commemorate.
Every Facility Provided
Every possible facility has been
provided for the accommodation of
visitors. Parking space for 8,000 to
10,000 cars has been arranged: a
large grandstand has been erected
for hundreds of distinguished visi
tors; entertainment in many varied
forms will be provided: and ac
cording to the program arranged
by the committees there will not be
a dull hour during the two days
and nights.
Every state in the Union is ex
pected to be represented among the
throngs that will assemble for the
event; and practically all sections
of Mexico also will be represented.
From New York to California the
opening of the international port
on the Mexican border has aroused •
the interest of the public. News
reel and newspaper photographers
have been assigned to cover the
various features; special arrange
ments are being made by the lead
ing newspapers of the country for
wire service.
Every facility the city has at its
command will be provided visitors.
Federal, county and city peace offi-'
cers will cooperate in patrollng the
highway to the airport and policing
the grounds. Full cooperation also
is being extended by all depart
ments of the city of Matamoros.
Hundreds of Brownsville residents
have opened their homes and listed
rooms available for visitors with
the expectation that the hotels of
the city will be unable to accom- -
modate all visitors. Hotel reserva
tions also have been made at San
Benito and Harlingen, and commit
tees express confidence that ample
housing facilities will be provided.
Lindbergh to Make Flight
Fears expressed the first of the
week that the political upheaval in
Mexico might result in delay in in
auguration of the Mexican and
American air lines between Browns
ville and the Mexican capital,
have been ui&sinared bv telegrams
from George Rihl, b—»** of
Mexican Aviation company, an
nouncing that the mail route would
be opened as planned. That Lind
bergh will make the first flight
from Mexico City to the border
and return with the American mail
the following day has been assured
in private telegrams and Associated i
Press dispatches. Captain Ira C.
Eaker also has announced that
political conditions in the southern
republic will not delay his flight
to Panama.
Features of the celebration will
be the landing of Colonel Lind
bergh Saturday afternoon with the
Mexican air mail, christening of
Cantain Eakcr’s plane at 2:30 Sat
urday, reception for distinguished
guests Saturday night, starting of
Eaker’s dawn-to-dusk flight Sun
day morning, departure of Lind
bergh with the American mail of
Mexico Sunday morning, departure
and receipt of the American mail
from and to the north each day,
and receipt and departure of the
Mexican west coast mail each day.
Committees Functioning
Committees appointed to take
charge of each department of the
celebration have been functioning
almost perfectly. There has been
perfect coordination of efforts,
committee chairmen report, and
every detail has been carefully
planned.
Colonel Charles Lindbergh will
be greeted by the Twelfth cavalry
band, and the famous pilot and
Mexican and American officials
will form a parade from the field,
i (Continued on Page 11)
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