Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-02-25
CAb|NET I HOLDS
GAS SESSION ON
ROMA DISASTER
President to Ask Con-
gress for Liberal He
lium Appropriation.
Question of Demanding
Dirigible of Germany
as Reparation Up Too.

Washington. Feb. 23.-Bclieving that
the loss of life in the destruction of
the giant airship Roma would have
been greatly lessened had the big
craft been filled with helium instead
of hydrogen gas, President Harding and
members of his official family were
understood to have decided at Friday s
cabinet meeting to ask congress for a
liberal appropriation for production
and conservation of helium.
The matter of increasing helium pro
duction was said to have been discussed
by the cabinet for half an hour, Sec
retary Fall laying before the council
an article on the non-inflammable gas
and also the draft of a tentative bill
to provide for increased production
and conservation. Among the related
subjects discussed, it was learned, was
the possibility of obtaining stores OF
helium by the government from the
natural gas fields on public lands.
Want DirigibIe From Germany
Another development along similar
line was the disclosure that diplomat
ic negotiations We're in progress be-
tween the state department and the
allied governments and Germany in
connection with the proposal that Ger
many should build Zeppelin dirigible
airship for the United States under
American reparations allotment.
While the allied governments,
through the council of ambassadors,
have consented that Germany should
construct such ship. difference has
arisen as to whether the amount of
the American reparatiOns allotment
would cover the cost of the ship.
Germans Destroyed Seven Ships
Secretary DENLY, Of the navy de-
partment. made it clear, Friday, that
unless the reparations figures would
cover the construction work, so that no
additional expense to the United States
government would be involved, the re-
quest of the navy department for the
Zeppelin would be withdrawn.
Under the terms of the treaty of
Versailles. Germany was required to
deliver 13 Zeppelin airships to the
allied and associated governments to
be rated among them. The
United States was to have received
two of these ships. After delivery
of six vessels to the allied govern
ments, however, the remaining seven
in Germany were Illegally destroyed by
the Germans and the reparations com
uulSslSH las IeHulIcu th"L 'ei iioAJ
should replace these seven, either by
construction or in cash payments.
DENLY Doubts Military Value
The German officials now have
come forward. however, with a state !;
ment as to the costs of construction |
of modern Zeppelin for civil use,
such as desired by the United States. |
This estimate, it was explained is |
greater than the valuation placed by |
the reparations commission upon the !
two Zeppelins originally allotted to the
United States, but which were not |
delivered.
Secretary DENLY made it clear that
he was very much in doubt personally |
as to the military value of large sized !
dirigible aircraft, although he believed
that the department should press
construction of the ZR-1, now building
by the navy, because of the engineer
ing and other valuable information on
the subject that might be thus
obtained