As indications pointing to prearrangement in the flight of Arthur Schreiber, “Yellow Bird” stowaway, grow, an attitude of criticism and disfavor toward the American Jewish youth is manifest in the metropolitan press.
While Schreiber is scheduled to sail this morning for the United States aboard the Leviathan, several metropolitan papers censure him in editorials, for endangering the lives of the plane’s crew. His behavior in Paris is likewise described as not proper. Letters sharply criticizing Schreiber have appeared in the “New York Times,” the “New York Evening Post” and the “New York Evening World.” The “Post” and the “World” take Schreiber to task editorially. Arthur Brisbane, writing in the “New York American,” which is publishing Schreiber’s story on the flight, declared that Will Rogers would apologize to Schreiber when he learned that Schreiber did not board the plane without the fliers’ knowledge.
Prior to sailing on the Leviathan, the terms of the business arrangement between Schreiber and the three fliers were made public by Armeno Lotti, Jr. at a press conference in Paris. By the terms of the contract, 50% of Schreiber’s earnings through theatrical, newspaper or other enterprises are to be turned over to Jean Assolant and Rene Le Fevre. The major portion of the 50% will go to the two fliers, while a certain sum will go to widows and orphans of French aviators.
Lotti declared that despite the danger in which Schreiber had placed them, the fliers had no ill feeling against him and that ‘he will go home sure of the friendship of the three of us.”
Schreiber, at the suggestion of Lotti, reiterated that there was no prearrangement in his flight and that none of the fliers had connived with him. He said that he had previously approached Mr. Lotti and had definitely been turned down. He expressed his gratification over the treatment accorded him by the fliers, declaring, “I would gladly turn over to them not just half, but all I may receive. I feel that I owee them a debt which I can never repay.”
Several papers carry despatches describing commercial offers made to Schreiber, none of which, however, could be verified.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
