Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-21

northern course our trip would have
taken five days.
ITO escape the worst of the storms
we took the Southern route, almost
doubling our mileage further delayed
our passage. The damage to our stabil-
iZer caused still further delay. Despite
all these handicaps we made the flight
from the coast of Europe to the coast OF
the United States in three and one-half
days. But for the damage to our Stabil-
izer we should have cut a full day from
this time"
The next dirigible produced at
Friederichshafen, DR.. Eckener said,
would be much better ship than the
Graf Zeppelin, which is today the finest
lighter -than-air craft in the world.
The next ship will have twice as many
motors as the Graf Zeppelin and will
have a cruising speed of from 80 to IS
miles an hour. This in itself will ma
terially increase the safety of the ship
by making easier the avoidance of I'M
favorable weather areas.
Mail Use Seen First.
For the present dirigibles will find
their greatest field of activity in the
carrying of transoceanic mail, DR..
Eckener believes Mail not only pays
better than passengers, but does away
with the necessity of carrying large
supplies of food and water and the
weight of saterooms and furnishings for
the accommodation of passengers.
ITO make the carrying of mail prac-
teal business enterprises" DR.. Eckener
said, I'VE must be able to guarantee to
the business man that his letter no
wv, i1oI ur1l ka 4
across the ocean in less time than
would be possible by steamship. To do
this we must have diriglble sailing in
each direction at least every fourth
day and to maintain such a schedule
we must have at least four ships in
operation, which would entail a capital
outlay of approximately $4,000, 900
The construction of landing terminals
in Europe and the. United States would
be necessary and they probably will
bring the initial outlay to $4,000 900 or
SIS 1000 ,O00."
Further demonstrations will be nee
essary before it will bepossible to in
terest f1nanciers in the proposed service
sufficiently to insure financial backing
of the project, DR.. Eckener declared
These demonstrations he proposes to
make with the Graf Zeppelin and her
successor, now being designed In
Germany.
Youths Daring Applauded.
While DR.. Eckener was warmly an
plauded his reception was completely
eclipsed by that accorded his son few
moments later. The younger Eckener
graduate engineer is planning to fol-
low in his fathers footsteps as a dirigi-
BILE builder and flyer. His daring feat
| has won him place beside the air
heroes of the world and his introduc-
ton was the signal for a storm of ap-
applause, amid which rose shouts of
"Hoch! Hoch!" and "Bravo!"
Young Eckener, 6-foot, athletic
young man with a mop of flaxen hair
and schoolboy complexion, rose BASH
| fully his face red with embarrassment
and bowed his acknowledgment. He
refused to speak, also declining to be
interviewed by newspaper men after the
luncheon.
The crowd which gathered at the
doors of the Press Building to
cheer the flyers as they left after the
luncheon was one of the largest OF
their Washington visit and traff1c was
tied up on Fourteenth street for sew.
eral minutes as they were driven away
to the Carlton Hotel to prepare fol
their departure from the National
Capital