820.7961 Dept. of Commerce Flight/27
The Ambassador in Brazil (Morgan) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 2.]
Sir: Replying to the Department’s telegraphic instruction No. 2, of January 7 last, 8 P.M., I have the honor to report that Lieutenant James Doolittle, an Army pilot on leave, arrived at Rio de Janeiro by airplane from Asunción, Paraguay (distance 965 miles and flying time 7 hours) on July 2 last, and has received what assistance this office has been able to render him in making known [Page 818] the Curtiss Hawk single-seat pursuit plane which he employs and the manufacturer of which he represents. Our Naval and Military attachés have introduced him to officers of the Brazilian army and navy.
Lieut. Doolittle contributed an exhibition of sensational “aerial stunts” never before seen in this city to the 4th of July program with which the American colony commemorated our national birthday. He repeated this exhibition on July 14, at the military aviation field, before a large number’ of spectators, among whom were the members of the French Military Mission, which organized “an afternoon of aviation” to commemorate the French national holiday.
Lieutenant Doolittle and Mr. Webster, the business manager of the Curtiss Company, have been on excellent terms with Lieutenant Wade, representing the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, of Buffalo, New York, who is also in Rio de Janeiro engaged in attempting to dispose of airplanes of the said company.
In reporting the activities of Messrs. Doolittle and Wade the Military Attaché, under date of July 9, makes the following observations regarding the relations of these representatives of competing aeroplane manufacturers:
“A particularly pleasing feature of the local situation and one bound to impress the Brazilians strongly is the cordiality manifested by the competing representatives of American concerns.… and the fact that the Americans, each out for orders, are able to co-operate and assist each other in many details of their local arrangements is a valuable object lesson to their prospective customers.”
I have [etc.]