Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-03
THE READERS VIEWPOINT
Letters TO the Editor on Current Topics

chance. When the American investor
learns that an airship can earn its own
cost of construction in less than one
| year and at the same time pay diVi-
dents Of 1000 per cent over and above
sinking fund, insurance and cost oi
maintenance and operation, he will be-
gin to realize that something is slipping
out of his hands.
Britain is awake. She is already do
ing the ncvitabc-building airships.
The voyage of the R-3i was crude
tryout for an airship. 1t was the first
serious attempt by an airship to cross
the Atlantic. And the very first at
tempt was successful. The RIA carried
thirty persons safely across the ocean
and the R34 is a pygmy as compared
to arships now being designed by com
pctent engineers. II is as practical to
construct airships to carry 2O0 pas
Sengcrs as thirty.
Yet. at ~ Transportation Building
there are two engineers tone of the pre-
war Zeppelin staff who for more than
ten years past have had the under
standing Of the subject and the foresight
to spend the time and capital necessary
to keep pace with what has now become
IL world movement.
We, in the United States, have been
told that We cannot build airships; that
their construction was n scientific mys
terry: that it costs millions to learn the
secret; that no one in America has the
slightest knowledge of the art.
Tho foregoing is mostly British
propaganda. The more we believe sucl,
propaganda the further away the
American investor is from enjoying the
quick income the airship is capable oi
earning.
do not allow the weather to cloud
your perspective. Arships. with their
present engine power. already weather
voyages which delay steamers. AnC
horsepower on airships is increasin!
out OF all proportion to that on sur
lace vessels. The airship of today is
an alrworthy vessel which discounts the
alrplane because the airship possesses
ooth the power and the endurance tc
outlast periods of bad weather which
matt airplancs. Operators of airsbips
now understand that trips can be timed
10 take advantage of the regular inter
VaIs OF good and bard weather: and tc
u'scharge passengers and cargo in less
/ 'hah hhit the time steamers require.
10 not get the false impression that
alrShlps cannot be safely anchored even
IN the open. No high mooring towers,
such as depicted in magazine illustra
IONS are necessary to securely anchor
any airship. Any extensive inland
water basin furnishes the true anchor
age for 100ton airship. Pumping
her water tanks full weights the ship SO
that 1t will swing as easily in the wind
as a lOO-ton yacht. And this is cheaT
anchorage. 1t does not demand regi
mcnt of 800 helpers to enable the air
ship to alight safely on smooth sheet
of water
| Another fallacy is that large airshiI
costs anywhere from 81 800 900 t,
S2,0OO.0 900 to construct. The extrava
CANT statement by uniformed persons j,
not true. Our engineers are fully aware
of the cost Of all materials and the
amount of labor that goes into Graf
VI "h' SiNNh CiS's Nv Itui tOsl ID Ia
below the Oft-Quoted figures.
DO not wait on the United States
Government to develop rigid airships
! Whatever the government may develoI
and evolve is not Tor money making
ends. Its product will be for war pur
poses. Engineers know that an air
ship constructed purely for use in war,
fare is not adequate for commercial
ends. But it is equally important tC
know that an airship constructed for
purely commercial pn. poses may be very
easily converted into dangerous foe. il
time Of war. The ability to turn out
! airships for carrying commerce also
establishes the capability for construct
ing war craft.
Keep your eye on the earnings and
YOU have solved the prime secret OF
Britain 5 feverish expenditures in Great
ing the carrier of the future.
Philadelphia, wake up--here is the
opportunity.
WALTER V. KAMP.