MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ARRIVING TO RECEIVE TICKETS FOR THE LINDBERGH RECEPTION Long before the announced hour for the distribution of tickets, members of The Society began to gather before the doors of the headquarters on Sixteenth Street. Requests for more than 30,000 tickets were received. Disappointment of many was regrettable, but inevitable. character had withstood the glare of publicity and the acid test of hero-worshiping adulation." The President concluded by handing to Colonel Lindbergh the medal which has been bestowed on only seven other men in the 40 years of the National Geographic Society's existence and saying, "To-night I have the utmost gratification in awarding you this further recognition of achievement, the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society." Then occurred an incident which is virtually without precedent, when the President, in addition to presenting the Hub bard Medal on behalf of the National Geographic Society, paid the young explorer the gracious personal tribute of introducing him to the audience. The applause which greeted the two figures on the platform, America's foremost hero and America's foremost citizen, persisted for several minutes before Colonel Lindbergh was able to make his acknowledgment. Meanwhile a battery of motion-picture cameras and news photographers added a picturesque touch by snapping photographs at high speed with a clicking that sounded like a miniature Battle of the Marne. The stage was illu PRESIDENT COOLIDGE LAUDS THE AIR HERO President Coolidge spoke as follows: "Fellow Countrymen: "Transportation and communication are essential to civilization. Within the year an encouragement has been given to their development that has few parallels in history. The principles of aviation were demonstrated first by Americans at the turn of the last century. In the intervening years their science progressed, both here and abroad. Important flights were Dr. Grosvenor, in presenting President made. "Mr. President, Mrs. Coolidge, members "The first round-the-world flight, the first North Polar flight, the first circumnavigation by air of Central and South America, the first flights to Hawaii, the first flight from New York to Tokyo via Europe, the first, second, and third transatlantic flights from New York to Europe in one summer! And world records for altitude attained in a plane and for millions of miles flown with air mail without accident! "To the greatest of these achievements the National Geographic Society has now assembled to pay tribute. "In order that the acknowledgment to our dauntless young navigator may be truly national, our warm-hearted Chief Magistrate has generously honored us by his presence. "In every one of these outstanding voyages, so fruitful in scientific knowledge, the aviators were men trained, developed, inspired in the Government Service. "And so to you, Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief of all of our air forces, whose clear, practical, constructive program has guided, encouraged, and stimulated an air conquest that is phenomenal, the members of the National Geographic Society throughout the Nation extend most earnest and respectful congratulations. "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States." "It remained for one of our own citizens in May, 1927, to arouse universal interest in the practical possibilities of travel through the air. His flight, alone and un the world. It appealed to the imagination of humanity. How the hero of this exploit was revealed, not as a reckless adventurer, but as an able, sober-minded, modest young man of high and unselfish purpose, has now passed into history. What he did to strengthen the cordial relations between our people and Europe is well known. The wonderful and sincere welcome he received abroad, the acclaim that greeted him at home, are still fresh in the public mind. aided, from New York to Paris thrilled "But that was not all. With a clear conception of public service, he determined. to capitalize his fame, not for selfish aggrandizement, but for the promotion of the art he loves. He was unmoved by the many opportunities for private gain. The flight to Europe was spectacular. It stirred the heart of the people. But foremost in his mind was the permanent good that might come from thus having directed public thought to human flight. This courageous, clear-headed, sure-handed youth, whose character had withstood the glare of publicity and the acid test of hero-worshiping adulation, became an apostle of aeronautics. He dedicated himself to advancing the science and practice. of aviation. "Taking little time to recover from the strain of his experiences, he started on a missionary tour of over 22,000 miles. Flying in his Spirit of St. Louis, the 'Spirit of America' visited 82 cities in our 48 States. Only once did he fail to arrive on PRESIDENT COOLIDGE ADDRESSING THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ON COLONEL LINDBERGH'S ACHIEVEMENTS Seated on the platform, front row (left to right), are: Dr. John Oliver La Gorce, the Hon. Everett Sanders, Secretary to the President; Mrs. Evangeline Lindbergh, Mrs. Coolidge, Dr. Gilbert Grosvenor, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, and the Hon. William P. MacCracken. In the second row were Dr. Orville Wright, Mr. Harry F. Guggenheim, and the transoceanic flyers: Mr. William S. Brock, Mr. Emory Bronte, Miss Ruth Elder, Mr. Arthur C. Goebel, Mr. George Haldeman, Lieut. Albert F. Hegenberger, Lieut. Lester J. Maitland, Mr. Edward F. Schlee, Mr. Paul Schlueter, Lieut. Ernest L. Smith, Miss Thea Rasche, and Mrs. Clarence Chamberlin, representing her husband. scheduled time, establishing a record for reliability. He spoke not about himself, but for airways and airports in 147 speeches and 192 messages dropped from the clouds. Because of what he has said and done we are told aëronautic plans for 1928 indicate an activity far beyond any dreams of six months ago. "Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, it has been the privilege of few to do as much for a cause in so short a period of time. You have richly merited the many honors already bestowed. To-night I have the utmost gratification in awarding you this further recognition of achievement, the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society." COLONEL LINDBERGH'S REPLY Colonel Lindbergh spoke briefly in acknowledgment of the President's address. In accepting the medal he said: "Mr. President and Members of the National Geographic Society: "First, I want to thank you all for the great favor which has been bestowed on me to-night. The National Geographic Society has aided greatly in the advancement of civilization and in the discovery of many parts of the world and in the upward trend of this country. "It has been first in the field of exploration and has aided greatly in the development of aviation. In the past, in exploration especially, it required years for achievements that may be made now in hours. In the future it is the hope of the aëronautical industry that the airplane will do its part in discovery and in bringing together and uniting more closely the nations. "In closing, I want again to thank you. I hope and believe that in the near future we will be flying over practically every corner of the world, and that the airplane AN ESCORT OF ARMY PLANES IN FLIGHT OVER WASHINGTON Official Photograph, U. S. Army Air Corps flight from Richmond near the end of his tour of the forty-eight States (see pages 1-46). The Washington Monument, in the right foreground, was the first object seen by Colonel Lindbergh as he approached the National Capital on the will unite more closely the nations than they are to-day." DR. GROSVENOR PRESENTS SECRETARY Introducing the Hon. William P. MacCracken, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aëronautics, Dr. Grosvenor said: "Colonel Lindbergh's travels by air have done so much for 'the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge'-the purposes for which the National Geographic Society was founded-that he will, we think, be interested to know that participating in the presentation of this medal are members of this Society residing in 169 countries and mandatories. "Its membership reaches to the uttermost corners of the globe and even to its most isolated and remote islands. "For instance, sharing in the pleasure of this award to him are 11,000 members in Australia and New Zealand, 200 in the Fiji Islands, 450 in Java and Sumatra, 10,000 in Central and South America, 28,000 in Europe, 50,000 in Canada, and more than one million members in the United States. "Many thousands of members are listening in to-night, and to them The Society sends greetings (see text, page 139). "I now have the honor to present the distinguished Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aëronautics, the Honorable William P. MacCracken." "SINNER AND SAINT PRAYED FOR HIS SUCCESS" Mr. MacCracken said: "We have just been privileged to witness the conferring of the highest award which the National Geographic Society bestows upon explorers. "The President had previously expressed the Nation's regard for its recipient and his great achievement, when he welcomed Colonel Lindbergh upon his return from France. "An unknown civilian aviator, working for an air-mail contractor, he took leave to fly from New York to Paris. For 33 hours and 29 minutes he held the attention of the entire civilized world. spective of nationality, creed, or occupation, sinner and saint prayed for his Irre success. When at the end of their vigil he was acclaimed the victor, nations were brought to a clearer realization of the brotherhood of man, and the cause of civilian aviation was advanced to an extent which gold alone could never purchase. "Great as his achievement was and deep as it endeared him in the hearts of his fellow countrymen, the conduct of Colonel Lindbergh since landing at Le Bourget has done more to inspire admiration for him and faith in the youth of to-day than did his flight itself. "We in aviation recognize in the President one of the great men who has served this Nation as its Chief Executive. His keen interest in all phases of aëronautics has been in a large measure responsible for the progress made during the past few years. His recognition of these transoceanic flyers and their deeds is appreciated not only by them, but by all the aëronautic fraternity. AVIATION'S GIFT TO GEOGRAPHY "We have foregathered here as members of one of the world's greatest societies. Its primary purpose, inspired by altruistic motives, is to collect and diffuse geographic knowledge. All forms of transportation have proven valuable adjuncts toward accomplishing these aims; but none has ever presented possibilities as great as those offered by aëronautics. "Exploration and travel are indispensable to geographic education. Expeditions which heretofore cost months in time and much in human hardships and sacrifice can now be accomplished in a matter of hours, with less exposure of personnel, by means of aircraft. Hazards there will always be in pioneering, but these are but an item in the sum total of the price of progress. Every achievement takes its toll, and we, who are the beneficiaries of what has gone before, do well to pay tribute to our contemporaries who have made their contribution to the well-being of posterity. "In an era teeming with invention and its resulting application to commerce and industry, it is difficult to ascribe to each its true value. The use of aircraft conserves time-the stuff that life is made of-facilitates travel, bringing together in closer relationships and better understand |