The Washington times., 1929-08-23

Made 1t Possible
"A few days ago, Friedrlchs-
hafen was cheering the Graf
Zeppelin. An incredibly few days
later throngs on the streets Of
Tokyo were gazing at the giant
aircraft. On Sunday Captain
Eckener expects to fly over Los
Angeles, and not many hours
thereafter Lakehurst, N. j., win
house the dirigible again at the
conclusion of . swift and thrill
ing flight around the world.
Papers Aid Noted
Peoples widely separated by
customs and distances have paid
proper tribute to the genius Of
the builders and the skin OF
the navigatOrs. But few have
stopped to remember that news
paper enterprise and public spirit
made possible the great voyage.
For it was Mr.. Hearst's group
Of daily papers which provided
the large sum necessary to II
nance the flight.
''The only return which these
newspapers have from their IN.
vestment il the right TO publish
exclusive dispatches from the
Graf Zeppelin in flight. Wherever
II Is seen and wherever It lands
the intangible character Of the
return will not prevent publish
ers from again helping to finance
scientific expeditions like these,
with their powerful effect upon
the progress Of mankind.
Press Purses Open
"FrOm the time when James
Gordon Benefits New York Her.
aid sent Stanley into Africa to
find and rescue DIR. Livingstone,
the purse of the American news.
paper has been open to the ex.
plOrer and the scientist. To this
are due many of the great adven.
lures and discoveries OF modern
times"
In an editorial on the Hearst.
Zeppelin flight, the New York Eve.
ming Post says:
"In starting upon It's 5,4OO.mile
flight across the Pacific, the third
of the four legs. into which Its
voyage around the world is divid.
ed, the Graf Zeppelin is writing
new aerial history. The Atlantic
has now been crossed SO many
times, both by airplanes and by
dirigibleS, that such flights are
beginning to be an old story. We
have also had long land flights
comparable to that across Siberia.
But to fly from Tokyo to Los
Angeles strikes new note In the
history Of aviation.
Interest Universal
"The flight of the Graf Zeppelin
is exciting universal interest and
admiration. IL is also being
watched with a certain equanimity
which is i'm itself striking proof Of
the confidence which its previous
flights have inspired. The Iimita.
tiOns of dirigibIe travel may be
readily admitted, but we are conf
ing to accept it as safe except un-
der highly unfavOrable conditions,
conditions which the development
Of weather reports are all the time
making it easier to avoid.
''The result OF the Graf Zeppe.
Inns flight, il it successfully
reaches its home port, may well be
the establishment of regular air
routes. But, as has often been
pointed out, the dirigible cannot
yet develop either the speed or the
carrying capacity which would en-.
able it to offer serious competition
to the steamship. A transatlantic
service now would be in the nature
of q stunt, just as this round.the.
world flight is q, stunt. Except
for the novelty. Of. flying, few per-
sons are eager to save q day I'm
reaching Europe at cost some 10
times that of the ocean liners.
Nevertheless, it is no longer
possible to doubt the future of the
dirigible. On long flights it seems
to be a jump ahead Of the air.
piano."