The New York herald., 1922-02-24
Roma Tragedy Develops
This Policy in War and
Navy Departments.
BLAME PUT ON CONTROLS
Official Report Deplores 'Un-
fortunate Landing, and
.Easolves Congress.
ss,ctar Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
NInshinrfnn II. O. Eeh ~

s|ectul Dispatch TO THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. II. c.. Feb. a3.
The Government intends to stop
enying airships in foreign countries.
r experiments with dirigibles are to
~ continued, in the face of strong
opposition, it will be with American
Hidlt craft, the gas bags of which will
- filled with helium.
This policy developed to-day in both
che war Department and tke Navy
Department, in direct consequence of
the Roma disaster near Norfolk, Va
The ZR-2, which collapsed over Hull,
England, last August, with the loss of
seventeen American officers and men
in addition to the British crew, had
been bought from the British Govern
ment by TIE navy; the Roma, the
wrecking of which cost the lives of
thirty four, was bought from the Ital-
ian Government by the army.
The Navy Department is going ahead
with the building of the ZR-1, an airship
construction than the i'll fated ZR-2.
Assembly is about to be started at the
naval air station at Lakehurst, n. J.
The ZR-1 will be finished in about a
10 day developed the fact that the ZR-1
will not take the air without helium in
her gas bags. This is to be the safe
guard against explosions such as those
which caused the frightful loss of life
in the disasters heretofore.
In construction the ZR-1 is entirely
American. the general scheme, however,
conforming with the construction of the
Geman Ieppelins. In this way the Of
ficers of the service believe all chance
OF buckling. which was the direct cause
of the ZR-2 disaster, will be removed
Gen. Patrick, chief of the Army Air
Service returned to Washington to-day
and reported to Secretary of War Weeks
as to the cause of the Roma tragedy.
Mr.. Weeks carried the report to Presi-
dent Harding, who. at the same time,
postponed the army and navy reception,
scheduled for tonight. in tribute to
those who lost their lives. The reception
was to have been held in the White
House and invitations had been issued
to 1000.
Puts Blame on Controls.
Gen. Patrick told Secretary Weeks
the cause Of the accident was the fail
ure of the controls of the airship and
that the forced landing was unfor-
tunate in that the airship hit a series
of high tension wires at the army base
near Norfolk. Had the navigator been
able to go a few hundred feet farther.
he said the airship would have landed
in the marshes, causing a wreck, un-
doubtedly, but not so complete a dis
aster.
Gen. Patrick took issue with those
who charged that Congress was re-
sponsible for the great loss of life in
tho Roma tragedy on the theory that
inadequate funds had been provided for
helium production. He declared Con-
Sress had provided $4,000 for helium
production, all that had been asked
and that there was enough of this non
inflammabe gass to fill the Roma Just
why this was not done he did not at
tempt to say, but an investigation is
under way TO determine the fact. Sec
rotary of War Weeks also absolved
Congress of the responsibility in a
statement which read:
= II have noted articles in the press
in which Congress is blamed for the
loss of lives in connection with the
destruction of the Roma. Such an at
tack on Congress is unjust, and is in
no sense justified by the sentiments
of officials of the War Department or
officers of the air service of the army.
An investigation is being conducted to
determine the cause of this most un-
fortunate disaster and specific recon-
mcndations may result therefrom."