24 MAY 1919, Page 3

In the papers of Tuesday morning there was a series

of wireless messages to the effect that Mr. Hawker had dropped into the sea forty miles from the Irish coast, but these turned out after- wards to be mere corruptions of messages which really conveyed no information as to Mr. Hawker's whereabonta. The weather along the line of his flight was very bail, and there is no doubt that he was prevailed upon to attempt the flight in a desperate desire to snatch the victory of the first Trans- atlantic flight out of the hands of the Americans. The whole nation has been deeply moved, and no wonder, by the gallantry of Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, and plunged in sadness at the thought of their fate.