New-York tribune., 1919-02-24
Sims Confident
British Airship
Can Gross Seas
Admiral Assures Daniels
Scheduled Trip to U. S.
Has a Chance to Succeed
Near York Tribune
Wdshfu OtO1, Rurenu


WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-Confdence
that the British will be successful in
making flight to the United States
and back with one Of the powerful
rigid airships now being constructed
by the Admiralty is expressed in a
wireless message received from Ad-
miral Sims by Secretary of the Navy
Daniels
"The trip is scheduled for this sum-
mer, and the chances are better than
fair that it will be successful" Ad-
miral Sims said
The message was transmitted to Sen
ator Swanson, chairman of the Senate
Naval Affairs Committee, by Secretary
Daniels as portion of letter thank
ing him for the action of the Senate
subcommittee in recommending an ap-
propriation of $36,O0O,0O0 for naval
aircraft.
England's rapid strides in constructs
ing larger and more powerful dirig-
ibles are set forth in Admiral Sims s
message, which urges the navy to seek
appropriations for carrying out its
plans of construction Of rigid airships
Wants Rigid Ships Included
The message follows:
press reports indicate that the
Navy Department included in its new
building programme an estimate pro-
viding for building of rigid airships
but that the House Naval Affairs Com
mittee eliminated this item without
the department making any very strong
protest.
81 think this most unfortunate. it
that the Navy Department take vigor-
Gus action to get the construction of
rigid airships included in the pro-
gramme.
81 am thoroughly convinced from my
observance of the naval lessons of this
war that, in the future, rigid airships
will be part of the fleet of every first
rate naval power. Delay of one year
now in the development of this art
Will serve to keep the United States
navy IN an unfavorable position in
comparison with those Of the other
great powers for some years.
England Is Pushing Work
"Germany's development of this type
is we'll known and England is making
rapid strides toward the construction
of larger and more powerful ships than
any German type yet built Already
she has a number of large size, built
and building some Of the new ones to
be Cos feet long, displacement OF
100000 cubic feet, a maximum speed
Of fifty nine knots, a cruising speed OF
thirty-eight knots, endurance of more
than 200 hours and crew of thirty-one
men. Following the signing of the
armistice the programme was so modi-
fed as to provide that new construc-
ton and development work be pushed
even more actively than during the
war.
"The admirals are now planning G
flight to the United States and back
with one of the British rigid airships
The trip is scheduled for this summer
and the chances are better than fan
that it will be successful.
with the United States in posses
sion of the only known source of
hellum we have an opportunity to use
this non-inilammable gas to make our
ships practically mvulncrable to at
tack.
"Without hesitation | can recon-
mend on strong military grounds that
two more airships of the latest type
be started in the United States and
that these be followed by at least two
more OF an improved type for helium
GAS This should involve an adequate
building and repairing base and an
operating base to be located later"