By Robert Neff
In the early years of American aviation, James C. Mars -- better known as "Bud" -- was a household name. His daring feats of aerial prowess (and occasional horrifying accidents) mesmerized the American public. Mars was also popular in Asia where, during his tour in early 1911, he pioneered aviation for many countries.
One of the first places he visited was the Philippines. On February 21, 1911, thousands of people gathered in Manila from the surrounding provinces, as well as visitors from China and Japan, to attend the annual carnival and witness "the spectacular military and civil pageant." The "most novel feature" was the flying exhibition given by Mars and his team which "excited the keenest interest" in the spectators and was the first time flying machines had commanded the skies over the Philippines.
From Manila, Mars traveled to Osaka, Japan, where he made three flights over a combined audience of 400,000 people. At Tokyo, his exhibition, according Popular Science, drew an estimated 700,000 people who did not fully disperse for over six months.
One enthralled spectator was Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi -- the grandson of the Japanese emperor -- who complimented the aviator for being the first to dare the skies over Japan. An odd compliment considering Japan had four airplanes but they were "in disuse because the officials did not understand how to manipulate them."
According to Mars, the Japanese authorities, however, were so impressed with the aerial demonstrations that they purchased one of his airplanes after he agreed to train two of their pilots. Unfortunately, before the end of the year and after Mars had left, a plane crash claimed the lives of both Japanese pilots.
But not everyone in Japan was favorably impressed:
"I had a narrow escape in [Nagoya] from being murdered by some superstitious natives, who plotted to destroy my machine and poison me. A little slave girl heard two of the conspirators talking and gave us warning in time. As a reward we bought her out of slavery and sent her home."
It is an amazing story but Mars wasn't above embellishing, if not outright lying. In an interview he boasted that "the greatest mark of favor [he] received was in Korea." He didn't describe how or when he went to Korea but insisted that he was under constant surveillance by the Japanese authorities while on the peninsula.
Allegedly, the Korean monarch was so impressed with Mars and his aerial feats that he presented the aviator with an elephant. Mars, however, thought of the elephant as "an embarrassment of riches" and gave it away to a Korean girl (who had been following him) with the instructions for her "to be good to it."
A fantastic tale considering there were no elephants in Korea -- the zoo at Changgyeong Palace obtained its first elephant in 1912 -- and even if there had been one, there was no Korean monarch to bestow it as a gift.
In an interview, Mars claimed to have given over 250 flying exhibitions in places such as "Honolulu, Manila, Sumatra, Japan, Java, Singapore, Calcutta, Siam, China, Korea, Siberia, Russia and Poland" -- making him the first person nearly to circle the world in an airplane.
There is no doubt, despite his exaggerations and inaccuracies, that Mars deserves a place in aviation history but not in Korea's aviation history. That honor belongs to another man -- a man whose role has been unjustly usurped by his teacher. That, however, is a tale for another time.
Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com.
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| James Mars in Japan 1911/ Robert Neff collection |
One of the first places he visited was the Philippines. On February 21, 1911, thousands of people gathered in Manila from the surrounding provinces, as well as visitors from China and Japan, to attend the annual carnival and witness "the spectacular military and civil pageant." The "most novel feature" was the flying exhibition given by Mars and his team which "excited the keenest interest" in the spectators and was the first time flying machines had commanded the skies over the Philippines.
From Manila, Mars traveled to Osaka, Japan, where he made three flights over a combined audience of 400,000 people. At Tokyo, his exhibition, according Popular Science, drew an estimated 700,000 people who did not fully disperse for over six months.
One enthralled spectator was Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi -- the grandson of the Japanese emperor -- who complimented the aviator for being the first to dare the skies over Japan. An odd compliment considering Japan had four airplanes but they were "in disuse because the officials did not understand how to manipulate them."
According to Mars, the Japanese authorities, however, were so impressed with the aerial demonstrations that they purchased one of his airplanes after he agreed to train two of their pilots. Unfortunately, before the end of the year and after Mars had left, a plane crash claimed the lives of both Japanese pilots.
But not everyone in Japan was favorably impressed:
"I had a narrow escape in [Nagoya] from being murdered by some superstitious natives, who plotted to destroy my machine and poison me. A little slave girl heard two of the conspirators talking and gave us warning in time. As a reward we bought her out of slavery and sent her home."
It is an amazing story but Mars wasn't above embellishing, if not outright lying. In an interview he boasted that "the greatest mark of favor [he] received was in Korea." He didn't describe how or when he went to Korea but insisted that he was under constant surveillance by the Japanese authorities while on the peninsula.
Allegedly, the Korean monarch was so impressed with Mars and his aerial feats that he presented the aviator with an elephant. Mars, however, thought of the elephant as "an embarrassment of riches" and gave it away to a Korean girl (who had been following him) with the instructions for her "to be good to it."
A fantastic tale considering there were no elephants in Korea -- the zoo at Changgyeong Palace obtained its first elephant in 1912 -- and even if there had been one, there was no Korean monarch to bestow it as a gift.
In an interview, Mars claimed to have given over 250 flying exhibitions in places such as "Honolulu, Manila, Sumatra, Japan, Java, Singapore, Calcutta, Siam, China, Korea, Siberia, Russia and Poland" -- making him the first person nearly to circle the world in an airplane.
There is no doubt, despite his exaggerations and inaccuracies, that Mars deserves a place in aviation history but not in Korea's aviation history. That honor belongs to another man -- a man whose role has been unjustly usurped by his teacher. That, however, is a tale for another time.
Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com.
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