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Show CONGRA TULA TIONS CABLED TO AIRMEN BY NAVAL OFFICIALS (Chicago Tribune Special Service.) WASHINGTON", May 27. Government officials rejoiced tonight that Americans have been the first to bridge the Atlantic Atlan-tic in an aeroplane. Lieutenant-Commander Albert C. Read, commander of the naval plane NC-4, is being proclaimed "the Columbus of the air." Although no queen pawned jewels that his voyage might be undertaken, the government gov-ernment of the United Statey expended a generous fortune in the epochal' enterprise, enter-prise, and there are no regrets. Secretary of the Navy Daniels- cabled h:s congratulations to Lieutenant-Commander Head and the members of his intrepid crew. He also cabled President Wilson at Paris, expressing gratification over the achievement and assurance that the president would rejoice at the news. The secretary of the navy's cablegram to Lieutenant-Commander Read wts as follows: , "Washington, May 27, 1919. ! "Lieutenant-Commander Albert C. Read, Commander NC-4 Seaplane, care Admiral Ad-miral Plunkett, U. S. S. Rochester, Lisbon, Lis-bon, Portugal: "The entire navy congratulates you and your fellow aviators on your epochal flight. "Tho ocean has been spanned through the air, and to the American navv goes the honor of making the fir3t transatlantic transat-lantic flight. "We are all intensely proud of your achievement and thankful, that it has I been accomplished without mishap to any of the daring aviators who left our shores on tlie final air journey to Europe. "To all of them and to you, all honor is due. "JOSEPHUS DANIELS." The secretary did not make public the text of his cablegram to President Wileon. Official confirmation of the landing of the NC-4 at Lisbon was late in reaching the navy department. It was hours after i the press associations flashed the success suc-cess of the great flight before the navy got its word of the triumph, but officials offi-cials did not wait for the official news before preparing their congratulatory message. The NC-4 flew the last leg of her transatlantic trans-atlantic flight on almost exactly the one-hundredth anniversary oi the first crossing of the ocean by a steam-driven vessel. One hundred years ago yesterday the steamer Savannah, which also flew the American f.!n g. put m at Liverpool, having completed the trip across the Atlantic At-lantic in twenty-five days. The Savannah Savan-nah was only 130 feot long only four feet more than the wing spread of the NC-4. Awarding of iie congressional medal of honor the nation's highest mark of service ser-vice to Lieu tenant -Commander Read and the crew of the NC-4 is proposed in a house resolution prepared by Congressman Congress-man Britten of Illinois. Britten would have the medals presented pre-sented to show the appreciation of con- gress for the daring and the courage :of j the fliers. .': j |