Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-11
PRESIDENT FAVORS
EXPORTING HEL|UM
Hoover Says Administration
Wants to Encourage Shipping
of on-Burning Gas.

BY the Associated Press.
The expectation of helium gas for
! use in foreign airships IS favored by the
American Government.
This was definitely established
through an utterance of President
Hoover, who yesterday said that far
from hampering the export of the
precious, non-inf1ammable gas, the adj
| ministration wished to encourage its
sale abroad. He spoke to clear up what
he held was a general misunderstanding
since the R-lO1 disaster on the Gov
ernments attitude.
At the same time he took occasion to
answer critics on the authorized re-
ductiop of 1890 men in the Nays en-
| listed personnel Those who held this
would cause unemployment, he said,
also misunderstood. He pointed ont the
reduction will come gradually, through
expiration of enlistments and through
deaths. No one will be put out of the
Navy before his enlistment period ends,
but replacement through recruiting will
be curtailed.
All Permits Granted.
Dealing with helium, Mr.. Hoover said
every application for exporting licenses
made during the past two years had
been granted, and that private indus
tries manufacturing the gas had been
urged to develop the foreign market.
Previously it had been indicated by
officials that only one such application
had been made by an American pro-
ducer and that this was denied be-
cause the applicant had neither orders
or prospects abroad. Before the Presi-
dent spoke, Assistant Secretary ingalls,
Of the Navy said no foreign interest
had sought TO obtain helium
Although this lifting gas saves air.
ships from the threat of fire, which is
constant in hydrogen dirigibles,
officials have pointed out that its COM
paratively low buoyancy sacrifices IS
per cent of the pay load of an airship.
This, coupled with the fact that the
United States alone has helium in COM
mercial quantities, is believed to have
deferred foreign governments and cor
porations from seeking to use it,
This Government originally obtained
its supply from private concerns. Now,
however, it has in full operation plant
in Texas which can supply all its needs.
AAIAC 40 VII tuoAAy AlO plNdVc 0cHldHu
and commercial producers must look
abroad for any market The total sup
ply in sight. according to an estimate
by Comdr Garland Fulton of the Nays
lighter-than-air division, amounts to
about 10000, 100000 cubic feet. He
said this would supply the world de-
mand for large number of years.
Agitation Since Disaster.
Since the R-101 crash, with its ter
rife loss of life through burning hydro
gen, there had been much agitation for
a change in law to permit helium ex-
portation.
1t began with a statement by Rear
Admiral William A. Moffett, chief of the
Bureau of Aeronautics, who urged that
the British and German developers of
lighter han-air craft be permitted to
use American helium. Members of
Congress, industrialists and others add
ed their voice. but examination of the
law revealed that it expressly permits
helium expectation If approved by the
President, with the joint recommended
tons Of the Secretaries Of War, Navy
and Commerce.