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Show FIRST AIRPLANE MAIL SERVICE BEGINS TODAY President to Receive First Letter Over Washington-New Washington-New York Route. WASHINGTON, May 14. America's first airplane mail service will, he inaugurated in-augurated tomorrow between Washington, Washing-ton, Philadelphia and New York, with planes starting simultaneously at 11:80 a. m. from the national capital and New York. President Wilson, cabinet members mem-bers and other government officials are expected to attend the ceremonies at the flying field here preliminary to the initial flight. The president, as head of the American Red Cross, will receive the first letter by airplane from New York. The communication com-munication will be from Governor Charles S. Whitman and will express his wishes to the president for the success of the Red Cross campaign to raise $100,000,000 for war relief work which starts next Monday. The mail airplanes will be piloted by army aviators, especially detailed to the service for experience in cross-country flying. The plane which will bring the letter to the presiednt will be piloted from New York to Philadelphia by First lieutenant lieu-tenant Howard P. Culver, and by Second Lieutenant J. C. Edgar ton from Philadelphia Philadel-phia to Washington. Tho plane leaving this city will be taken ro Philadelphia by Major R. H. Fleet and from Philadelphia to New York it will be piloted by First Lieutenant Waller Miller. The stamp on the first letter to be carried from Wn shington to New York will be cancelled and autographed by President Wilson. The letter will be sent by Postmaster General Burleson to Postmaster Post-master Patten of New York, who will turn the stamp and envelope over to Noah W. Taussig, to he auctioned off for the benefit of the Red Cross on June 11. Mr, Taussig, the Red Cross announced tonight, to-night, has agreed to start the competition with ajftld of $1000. The machines to he used in the mail service are capable of rarrying from 00 to 600 pounds of mail. The plnne leaving Washington tomorrow is expected to complete com-plete the first leg of the Journey to Philadelphia, Phila-delphia, a distance of 136 miles. In an hour and twenty minutes. It is due at New York at 2:30 o'clock. The new air mail postage stamps wro placed on sale today at the Philadelphia postoffice. The first ten were purchased by Poetmaater Thornton, wp was fol- lowed by former Postmaster General John Wanamaker, who bought two Mr. Wanamaker mailed the rirst letter In Philadelphia bearing one of the stamps' The letter was addressed to Postmaster Postmas-ter General Burleson, in Washington The sale was In preparation for (he inauguration inaugura-tion of the air mall service tomorrow between be-tween Washington, Philadelphia and New York. |