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My Dear Elwood,
Your very interesting letter of the 3rd reached me some few days ago at Buc, but we received
orders to move to Pau, to perfect on baby Nieuport, at about the same time so trust you will pardon my delay in answering.
Oh! for a "stenog", would write you a small book if only I could open my mouth and spout it out.
Some time ago I heard that you had returned to Anderson and would join up with Renny also that you had
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purchased a new gasoline buggy so you see the world is small after all and the "news do get around,"
I am very sorry to hear of Mrs. Elwoods illness and do hope that her recovery will be rapid and complete. The G. B. should be a great
help in this respect. Received a letter from R.J.I. now in Chicago, Seems to be well satisfied with his new partners life and the future
prospects of the Jimmerfall-Mize Co. ? always have been "Sweet" on Bob and am sure if hard work means anything he
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will pull out a winner. By the way before I forget it if you chance to go down Terre Haute way before November 4th kindly instruct one
or two men to register twenty votes (for me) for Roosevelt, if no one is looking tell 'em to vote the ticket straight all day and send me the
bill, if necessary. I'll "steal" to pay it. On the level Old Scout I haven't a bit of "war news", haven't been at the front for four months, the
papers at home give you far more dope (mostly written by critics who have
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doped it all out in a Paris Cafe) than we get over here. The big drive is coming off soon, maybe July. When it comes the Hun will be
well warmed up take it from me, confidence in the final outcome is firmly rooted in the Allies breast, we all feel that the
hun is a wipped dog, one with a bite in him yet, but neverless sorely wounded and nearing his end. I finished my
training for a Brevet Militaire at Buc, on May 19th and 20th made three triangle voyages, Buc - Evreux - Chartes - Buc a distance of
250 K.M. with a landing on each
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leg, and flew an hour at 2,500 meters (8,000 ft.) a total distance of eight hundred kilometers, the 20th got lost on one triangle and on
that day spent over nine hours in the air, some traveling in two days, What!
Do you remember the American Weymann who won the Gordon
Bennett Cup (for America) in England in 1911, it was copped by the French in 1912 at Chicago, well he was at Buc trying out a new
machine
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of his own design, it is of unique pattern, very radical, but a perfect wonder, makes forty K.M. an hour better speed at 3,000 m - than
any known Boche apparatus. Can not go into details, as I do not wish to run foul of the censor. By the way, tho Europe is plastered
with American trucks, and mighty good ones too, it might interest you to know that in spite of statements of American builders there
is not a single aeroplane of American make used at the front by any Allied Power.
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The French, the best airmen and builders of aeroplanes in the world, use the word "Americain" to describe an apparatus that does not
handle well or does not come up to requirements. And note further that tho Weymann an American has developed this new wonder
plane its French, he never flew a day in the States. You have perhaps read of the new American Escadrille, flying first
"Baby Nieuport" (13 meter spread of wing) machines, there are.
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at present eight Pilotes and serving at Verdun, there are to be 20 in all, I am no 15, and we will all join up in a few weeks. Of the eight
now at the front, seven have brot down one or more Hun machines, one has shot down five and another three, some record what, will
have to hustle. Beyond a doubt this is the most fascinating game on the face of the earth. Mother is here at Pau and joins me in best
wishes for Mrs. Elwoods prompt recovery
Sincerely, Willis Haviland
Cap'l Pilote Aviateur
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