Evening star., 1927-05-10
COAST GUARD TO AID.
President Asks Mellon to Order Them
to Join Search.

Secretary of the Treasury Mellon
was requested by the President today
to order all Coast Guard vessels IN
the north Atlantic to aid in the search
for the French transatlantic plane
which is long overdue.
The Coast Guard has a number OF
vessels in the north Atlantic now en-
gagged in watching out for icebergs,
il was explained at the White House,
and these vessels are to be utilized to
the utmost in the search for Nun
gesser and Coli. Attention was called
at the cabinet meeting today TO tne
fact that there are no naval vessels
available in north Atlantic waters ana
that Secretary of the Navy WliDur
does not think that any naval vessels
could be sent there III time 10 renoef
assistance.
The French embassy asked the
Washington Government today to lend
it's aid to the search.
The State Department assured the
embassy that every effort would be
made to find the. missing men, and
the French request for cooperation
in the search was Immediately COM
municated to the Navy Department
and Treasury Department, IN order
that Navy and Coast Guard craft
might be advised to be on the lookout
for the missing aviators.
Faced With Problem.
Naval and Coast Guard officials,
pondering over plans for widespread
search for Capt. Nungesser's plane.
were faced today with an unusual
problem in rescue work, because there
was no authentic information as to
seen.
In most instances where an aviator
had been forced down during an over
seas flight, there had at least been
definite reports showing where he had
been sighted, but in the Nungesser
search there was no clue upon which
those who would direct the search
could put absolute dependence. :.
An indication. of the complete lack
of information as to where Capt. Nun
gesser might have come down was
seen today in dispatches showing that
even the English Channel was TO be
searched for him. Facing this situa-
ton. naval officers confessed that the
job of finding the missing plane was of
such proportions that 1t was difflcult
to set up plans.
A complete dragnet search by naval
ships would call for vessels stationed
Ave miles apart. To cover stretch
across the Atlantic 200 miles wide
would require 40 ships, and these
would work only in daylight hours be-
cause the Nungesser plane would be
virtually impossible to locate in the
darkness.
Might Be on Shore.
Officials pointed out today that the
plane might have descended close to
American shores, and even on the
American continent at some isolated
point. Again, it may be nearer the
European coast, or even in the middle
of the Atlantic Ocean. Any search,
officials said, would be random quest,
its success depending almost entirely
on chance.
The main hope held here was that
some commercial ship would sight the
French plane If it landed on the high
seas, or that perhaps fishing boats in
the North Atlantic had taken ii in
tow. If the plane was forced down at
point not accessible to radio or wire
communication it might be days be-
fore it's pilot and navigator could
make their plight known.
There was no disposition here to
abandon hope for the fliers, but there
was no Disgusting the fact that Off
cialS felt they were facing a difficult
task in organizing for plan of ac-
ton. There was still a feeling that
the day might bring word that the
aviators would be found.