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Gala Celebration Friday To Mark Lighting System Completion for Glendale

(Handwriting)
ARIZONA =3/29/17
GAZETTE =

(Text)
GLENDALE, March 29--Friday evening, April 1, Glendale is to celebrate the completion of their new lighting system.

The Glendale district chamber of commerce is sponsoring this gala event and their committees are co-operating with the town officials in order to insure a fitting celebration for the occasion.

The intersection of North First and Glendale avenues will be roped off and a stand erected for the use of the judges of the proposed comic parade, also for the speakers of the evening the parade, which should start at 7:30 oclock, is open to all and prizes will be given to those who appear in the funniest costume. The high school band will furnish the music and the Glendale Union High School Girl's Glee club will render several selections.

P.G. Spilsbury, president of the Arizona Industrial congress, will be the first speaker of the evening and his talk will deal on the "trade-at-home" idea. Mr. Spilsbury will introduce Major Howard F. Wehrle of the National Aeronautic association who will give an interesting talk on commercial flying, also on the facilities in Arizona for a successful air mail service. In order to insure all those in attendance proper hearing, the committee has arranged for a loud-speaker system from the speaker's stand.

(Handwriting)
ARIZONA GAZETTE
MAR 28, 1927

MAJOR WEHRLE HAS ENVIABLE RECORD; SPEAKS FRIDAY

GLENDALE, March 28 -- Major Howard F. Wehrle, who is to speak at Glendale on Friday was one of the first of Americans to engage in flying.

Here he served as first lieutenant federalized militia officer. He was later promoted to captain by Newton D. Baker, gave him the commission Mr. Baker gave him the commission as captain, he pinned a little card to it with the following inscription. "For Mr. Impatience with the compliments of Newton D. Baker."

He served as a captain from April 14, 1917, until August 21, 1918 when he was promoted to major and sent overseas as flight group commander with the first Handley-Paige training station. Returning to the states after the war, Major Wehrle asked to be allowed to resign from the army at once and take up his civil occupation in the steel industry. But because of his previous training he was kept in the service until August 21, 1919, helping to straighten out and close up some of the air schools.
Glendale News Notes

(Handwriting)
ARIZONA GAZETTE
PHOENIX
MAR 25, 1927
GLENDALE CITIZENS TO HEAR WEHRLE NEXT FRIDAY

GLENDALE, March 25. — Friday evening, April 1, at the grammar school auditorium Glendale citizenry will have the opportunity of hearing one of the country's noted speakers, Major Howard F. Wehrle, of the United States air service. Major Wehrle's talk will dwell on "The Possibilities of Commercial Aeronautics" and he will speak particularly on the present air mail system. It is reported that he is in the Salt River Valley making a survey tending toward the routing of the mail south to El Paso to Lordsburg, Phoenix, thence to the coast, thereby eliminating the hazardous mountains and bad weather conditions prevalent in the northern states. Glendale is fortunate in getting Major Wehrle at this time and it is hoped that the townfolk will show their appreciation by turning out for the occasion.

(Handwriting)
The North Side
3/31/27
[[image, with ]]

The Glendale District Chamber Of Commerce was fortunate indeed and being able to secure Howard Franklin Wehrle, major of the United States Air Corps Reserves, to address the people of this community on the occasion of the big celebration which will be held on the downtown streets Friday evening.

Major Wehrle is one of the most outstanding figures in the United States today, and is in a class by himself as a platform entertainer. He has a real message of inestimable worth for the people and he handles his address with same pep and speed that is characterized his airplane activities since the opening of the World War.

Major Wehrle's address alone should be sufficient attraction to bring out every man, woman and child in the whole Northside district.

During the latter part of 1915, some young men were discussing the exploits of the German and Allied airmen, Captain Von Boelke, the noted German ace was being discussed in particular. The conclusion was reached that Americans, though claiming the birthplace of the airplane, were afraid to fly and did not take to it. Mr. Wherle discredited this conclusion and agreed to enter a flying school and demonstrate that the average American youth could and would fly as well as any other. The Curtiss Flying school at Newport News, Virginia, was selected and Wherle entered, making his first instruction flight April 1, 1916, under the careful tutelage of Walter Lees, flying boat instructor. The system of training in those days was to learn to fly boast first and then the land planes later. No particular reason was ever given for this method other than the fact that the idea was extant that to crashing water was not so uncomfortable as to crash on land. This may be true but water crashes are more dangerous because the victim may be so encapacitated as to drown befor aid could reach him while on land he may be reached and saved.

Mr. Wehrle had served in the West Virginia National Guard as lieutenant of infantry Second Regiment, afterward the 150th U. S., and when the punitive expedition was sent into Mexico he was sent to the Signal Corps Aviation school at Mineola, Long Island for further training. Mr. Wehrle had served in the West Virginia National Guard as lieutenant of infantry (2nd Regiment, afterward the 150th U. S.) and when the Punitive Expedition was sent into Mexico he was sent to the Signal Corps Aviation School at Mineola, Long Island, New York for further training. Here he served as first Lieutenant federalized militia officer. He was later promoted to captain by Newton D. Baker then Secretary of War. When Mr. Baker gave him the commission as captain, he pinned a little card to it with the following inscription. "For Mr. Impatience with the compliments of Newton D. Baker." Mr. Baker was very much taken with this ambitious young officer. He served as a captain from April 14, 1917, until August 21, 1918 when he was promoted to major and sent overseas as flight group commander with the first Handley-Paige Training station. This organization was for night bombing only and were to be employed in bombing Berlin and other German cities. However the Handley-Page Night Bombers were not called into action because of the Armistice. Returning to the states after the war, Major Wehrle asked to be allowed to resign from the army at once and take up his civil occupation in the steel industry. But because of his previous training he was kept in the service until August 21, 1919, helping to straighten out and close up some of the Air Service Schools. Since the war he has resided in Kansas City, Mo., as the District Manager for the Kinnear Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of automatic steel rolling fire curtains and doors. He came to Arizona seeking health for a member of his family and says he likes it well enough to stay here all the time.

Transcription Notes:
[[Image description]] man in long, striped tie wears two-piece suit with pocket handkerchief [[/image description]] Handwriting visible across bottom right over handkerchief – it appears to be Howard followed by more writing I cannot make out