Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10
GRAF ZEPPELIN
TO REVISIT i. S.
Three Flights to America
Will Test Craft for
World Cruise.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, March s.-The Graf
Zeppelin. which made a two-way trip
across the Atlantic last Fall, will make
a second westward flight to the United
States in May, third one in June and
a fourth later in the Summer, 1t was
announced today by F. w. Won Meister,
recently appointed special American
representative of the Luftschiffbau Zep-
pelin Co. Of Friederichshafen, Germany.
Won Meister said that he had received
instruction from his home ONCE to open
negotiations with the Navy Department
regarding use of the naval air station
at Lakehurst for berthing the dirigible
At the end of the three planned round
trips the giant dirigible will be taken
of the Atlantic run and conditioned
for an experimental fight around the
world, which is now scheduled for Fall
For 1880 the Graf Zeppelin has been
leased to Norwegian interests for an
Arctic flight.
Announcement Is Surprise.
Announcement that the Graf Zeppelin
would make three scheduled flights t.
this country came as surprise to local
aviation circles. The statement of DR.
Hugo Eckener, who commanded the ship
on her round trip over the Atlantic last
Fall and who is to be commander in the
coming flights, that the dirigible was
not large enough for regular oversee
trips was recalled.
The apparent change in policy was
explained with the statement that the
Forthcoming trips would all be made ir
the best transatlantic flying season,
and that a regular all-year-round serv-
ice would not be attempted until new
and larger Zeppelin was ready.
The Nays attitude on a second visit
Of the Graf Zeppelin to Lakehurst
could not be learned. 1t was thought
that the ship would be cordially re.
ceived, however, so long as the object
Is fundamentally one of scientific
demonstration of the feasibility of cross.
Ing the Atlantic in lighter-than-ail
ships. Any sound indication, however
that the second proposed trip is purely
commercial crossing might find tht
Navy heads of different attitude, Il
was said, which would neceSsitate tn,
finding of another base in the Unitec
States. And unless satisfactory stub
mast can be erected Immediately at one
of the Eastern airportS no other baS'
will be available.
On the forthcoming trip of the Ora
Zeppelin 1t is planned TO carry pa,
load of freight, mail and passengers
Under o special arrangement passage
on the transatlantic flights are beini
booked by the Hamburg American Line
Test Craft for World Trip.
According to Won Meister the thre'
flights are being undertaken as demon
Strations of the Graf Zeppelin'S suit
ability of over-ocean travel, and alS'
to prove that the conditions into which
the ship ran on its first westward tril
were extraordinary and not likely to b.
common occurrences.
Speaking of the round-the- world trip
which has long been planned, Vol
Meister said that preliminary plan
called for the Graf Zeppelin to circl
the world in three flights. The tril
would be made eastward and the onl
scheduled stops after leaving Fried
erichshafen would be Lakehurst, Sal
Diego and Toxic. Whether or not pas
sengers would be carried on this frs
globe -circling journey has not yet beel
decided.
On the forthcoming crossing in Ma,
DIR. Eckener will have the same office
personnel which made the trip last Fall
with Capt. Ernst Lehman as his chic
executive officer.