Friendly Fortresses

ARMY & NAVY

Out of Miami, across the Caribbean, over Panama, down the west coast of South America, over the Andes, and into El Palomar airport at Buenos Aires last week roared six of the U. S. Army's new flying fortresses--four-motored bombers each manned by eight men. They had made the 5,225-mile flight in record time (34 hr. 14 min.) with only one stop at Lima, Peru. Purpose of the longest "good will" flight in Army aviation records was to represent the U. S. at the inauguration of Argentine President Roberto M. Ortiz (see p. 24)--conveniently scheduled three weeks after the good will flight of three Italian planes to Rio de Janeiro.

The Italian good will flight had been a mild fiasco. To avoid appearing Fascist-minded, the Brazilian Government gave the fliers a cool welcome. Meanwhile, the Buenos Aires Critica, chief anti-Fascist organ of the Argentine press, decried the flight so bitterly that Argentina was omitted from the itinerary.

By contrast the U. S. good will flight was a huge success. The planes reached Buenos Aires, got a warm welcome from President Ortiz, awed his capital by flying over it in formation during the inauguration. Cried the delighted Critica, under an eight-column streamer headline designed to suggest the U. S. flag: "Welcome to the aviators of Democracy. . . . None has bombarded cities; none has spread horror and death among women and children . . .nothing connected with their splendid trip is in any way suggestive of the spirit that has brought others fliers to these shores."

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