Page:O que eu vi, o que nós veremos (1918).pdf/28

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What I Saw

sure, the automobile and air transportation that are the pride of our time.

It was on this day that my great popularity in Paris began; therefore, I also take the occasion to pay tribute to the people of Paris.

It was thanks to the constant applause and encouragement that my colleagues and I received that we found the strength, in the face of so many failures and dangers, to continue the fight. It is therefore to the farsightedness of the people of the City of Light that the world owes air travel.

Not only the people encouraged me in my experiments, but also society, the high authorities and all the writers.

In my hangar there were people of all classes and opinions. One day they caught in a photograph the former Empress of the French next to Rochefort. They had been the greatest enemies; well, in my studio, where Rochefort was a frequent visitor, they were next to each other!

Rochefort also covered me with compliments; let's not talk about the legion of writers, experts, like François Peyrey, Besaçon and all the oth-

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