The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1922-03-18
public support of this essential aero
nautical legislation.

public support of this essential aero
nautical legislation.
In Its announcement of the General
Air Service company's plans, the
chamber of commerce of the United
States gives this statement in it's off,
cial organ from Benedict Crowell:
Our aim Is to provide rigid sairship
service to America first, and, as time
goes on, link this continent with the
rest Of the world by aerial routes; a
service experimenting existing meth
DDS Of transportation, one which will
traverse space in minimum Of time
and supply a means of travel both safe
and comfortable.
Aerial transportation is just as
necessary to present-day civilization
as the railroads were to civilization
fifty years ago. In no country in the
world is this new method of transpor-
tation more necessary than In the Uni
ted States because of it's great ex-
panse of territory and its numerous
urban centers of large size. The Uni
ted States can and should lead the
world in the rigid airship field"
~.- Got Information in Europe.
Mr.. Crowell was one Of group that
spent much of the spring and summer
Of 1921 in Europe, They went to air.
ship factories and stations in Ger
many, France, England and Italy They
made flights in British, ex-German and
Italian airshlps, and secured data COW
ering manufacturing and operating
costs not only Of airships but of ham
CARS, mooring masts, landing fields and
terminal facilities. They secured in
formation and engineering data re-
garding flights over routes in the coun-
tries named, passenger accommoda-
tons, freight and express handling,
fuel and supply statistics, replacement
costs, insurance rates and the laws
governing air navigation in Europe.
Eat the same time the statement
from Mr.. Crowell explains, I'VE were
carrying on investigations here in the
United States. We looked into the
helium question, it's cost and probable
supply; sources of operating revenue,
passenger, freight, express and mail !;
the most feasible routes over which
to start Our new service to supplement
existing traffic facilities; meteorologi-
cal data and the effect that our climate
will have on yearly operation sehed-
ule; and the thousand and one things
which develop into real problems to
be surmounted in any undertaking Of
such wide application"
1t was in these investigations that
the representatives Of the American
Investigation corporation had the CO.
operation and capable assistance Of
DR.. Schuette. %.
eve uncovered enough evidence
early On our trip to Europe" continued
: Mr.. CroWell's statement, taken with
that previously found, to convince us
all that the time had arrived for &C.
ton; that certain conditions abroad,
if taken advantage of, would place the
United States in the lead in the air
ship industry, perhaps for all time.
Political conditions, reduced rates of
p exchange, postwar. reparations, the
unemployment of airship talent, all
these were factors in giving airships
q setback in Europe. These factors
are to our advantage" - " +.>
On the return Of these investigators
from Europe plans were formulated
for the organization Of the General
Air Service company, which starts bust
ness with the accumulated data ac-
quired by the American Investigation
corporation. The latter corporation
has acquired various rights for the
construction OF German rigids through
out the world, secured options on GER
tain equipment vital to the industry,
including mooring masts, hangers, ter
minal apparatus and plans and speci-
acations for rigid airships of various
capacities for long-distance routes.