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Show Americans Built the First Airplanes Capable of Sustained Flight By HIRAM BINGHAM, United States Senator from Connecticut Americans built the first airplanes capable of sustained flight. Americans Ameri-cans were the first to learn how to fly machines heavier than air. Americans Ameri-cans hold more important world records than do the citizens of any other nation. The first plane to cross the Atlantic belonged to the United States navy. The first planes to circumnavigate the globe belonged to the United States army. The most outstanding achievement in the regular dailv carriage car-riage of mail through the air is the record made bv the United States post office. American pilots are second to none. American airplane designers are equally at the head of their profession. The ability of Americans to organize difficult aviation pxfwrim?nts has wa fcognized repeat crllv as 8 superior quality. Nevertheless, aviation has not .viva need so rapidly in this country as we had hoped. All the leading Kuropean countries have been wi'.liur to pro:;io;e commercial aviation. We have done practical! nothing. |