Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-25
.GEp!'MA!ANY REFUSES
!. TO HELP zEPPEL|NS
Government Declines to
Grant MaiI-Carrying liz
cenSe for Airships.
epeci.l plsnatch . The star.

special Dispatch to The star.
BERLIN. November Is (N.AN.A).-
Reports lately that four new Zeppelins
would be built and that two would be
for American ownership have attracted
attention throughout the world. So far
as can be established, these are only re-
ports.
Several versions have been given of
the precise nature of these negotiations
with American concerns. 1t has even
been stated that German capital would
willingly participate IN the establish
ment of a German American company
for setting up regular airShip service
between the United States and Europe.
The Hamburg American Line and the
DarmStaedter and National Banks have
been mentioned in this connection.
One thing is certain--the money will
not come out of public funds. Only
the other day the German minister for
communications refused to come to an
agreement with the Zeppelin Co. for
licensing the airShips as mail carriers,
on the ground that experience has
shown they are not yet adaptable for
this.
At Critical Moment.
whatever may be the final upshot of
these negotiations with American en-
terprise, the crucial fact is that they
are being conducted at the most critical
moment in the whole history of airship
DEVELOPMENT
There is something odd in the dis
covery that the consensus in Germany
does not give favorable verdict on the
future of airship development. This
TACT emergeS from numerous inquiries
made during the recent meeting in Ber-
lin OF the German Scientific ASsocia-
ton for Aviation, as well as from a
sounding of opinions of the aviation
correspondents of the German press.
OF course, these opinions are not
openly stated, for the simple reason
that criticism of an outstanding ma
tional achievement, of which Germany
Justifiably Is proud, would smack of in
gratitude. On the other hand, the
present German generation is SO tech
nical-minded that these questions are
regarded quite Collectively.
Apparently one must not have the
static mind in approaching the prob
lem OF the future OF aviation. Matters
change with such startling rapidity.
Dornier'S great achievement with his
flying boat DO-X, the first successful
hight Of JunkerS aifplane G-38, and
the potentialities of the tailless airplane
undoubtedly have reacted upon the air
ship position, and 1t is thought, have
not been without effect upon the nego-
ttationS for the construction of four
new zeppelins.
Insurers Are Unfavorable.
After the world flight Of the Graf
Zeppelin, belief in the utility of the air.
ship was at its highest. The world was
daEzled by the feat. All the plans which
led to the present negotiations origi-
mated subsequent to this flight and were
directly inspired by 1t.
But since then something has hap
pened. Belief has waned. 1t is surely
rather significant Of the present feeling
that the proposed Polar flight has been
made doubtful by the unfavorable atti-
tJide Of German insurance companies.
DR.. Eckener has said that 1t may be
possible to insure the Graf Zeppelin in
England for the Polar flight, and at the
same time he admits that the attitude
Of the German companies is In keeping
with the fact that even after the sue.
0essftll flights Of 1929 he only succeeded
In renewing the insurance for 1890 by
agreeing to higher rates.
A decisive factor in these develop
ments Is the attitude OF the Hamburg
American line; In 1910 the German
AirShip Co. signed its flrSt contract
with the neutrality-suspicious. line, and
In less than four years the shipping
company, acting as passenger agent
had sold 900 tickets for flights within
the Reich. After the war the contract
was renewed and 2,450 booked for the
Bodensee before this dirigible was
handed over to italy in 1919.
Details Of Ship Are Revealed.
Details of DR.. Eckener's new ship,
Ez-l82, are now available. It will be
Of the fish-form type, with gas ca
pacity of 10000 cubic meters. Its
. length will be 237 meters and its maxi
mum diameter 38 meters. 1t will be
equipped with eight 600-horsepower
Maybach engines, giving the vessel an
estimated speed of about lao kilo-
meters per hour, so the distance be-
tween Germany and the United States
should be covered in about so hours.
Thus it will be seen that, given the
most favorable circumstances, the
transatlantic service cannot be started
before the Summer of 1881. Before
this date the combined liner seaplane
service, ut least for mails, probably will
have become regular feature OF ocean
transport.
(Copyright, 1873. By North American News
paper Aliancs)
Germany In working on o plan to link