Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-16
Export of HeIium Proposed
For Lighter-Than-Air Graft

ton to make certain that the gas is
exported in amounts SUFFICIENT only TOR
the commercial needs of the importing
countries. At any time we could break
of such exports"
In similar vein speaks the Indianap-
oils Star, IF we were at war, or likely
to become involved in war with any
nation, it would be the part of policy
and national safety to prevent the ex-
port of helium. We are not at war"
continues this paper, and none of the
airshipS under construction are in any
danger of becoming menace to US.
The Monroe Evening News suggests
that "the expectation OF an effective
lifting gas that has all the properties
of safety might very properly be left as
discretionary function of our War
Department, with foreign nations un-
derstanding that it is favor that
might be withdrawn at our pleasure"
X \
While helium is non-explosive, any
popular conception that it would not
burn if ignited should be diSpelled, in
the opinion of the Terre Haute Star,
which says, "An airship buoyed up by
helium would not explode, as did the
British dirigible, but it would burn If
once afire, as many Of the materials
IN most such craft are light and in
flammable" Then, are dirigibles de-
pendable, even though the use OF helium
should become universal? Discussing
this question, the Erie Dispatch-H
remarks, 1T would be idle to deny that
this disaster, following dozen other
similar peace time catastrophes with loss
of life, will deal severe blow to the
prospects of aviation by lighter-than-
air machines. Apparently they have
some distance to go before becoming
reasonably safe for passenger travel"
asserts this paper.
will new confidence be justified by
the use of heliunl, plus that additional
factor of safety, Diesel engines burning
heavy oil?" asks the st. Louis Daily
Globe-Democrat
1T is not the American way-not,
indeed the way of civilized man-tO
let initial dangers and failures hamper
the fullest possible development of new
forms of transportation, concludes the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
The San Francisco Chronicle, refer
ring to other disasters, feels that "acci-
dents, sometimes dreadful ones, cannot
be avoided" and asserts that every
step of progress has been marked by
tragic lessons"
The Akron Beacon Journal quotes
the Zeppelin experts of its own city as
pointing out that fins and control sur
faces of the ship were smaller than Yep
penn DuLdeTS nave 1ouIlu HeCeSSdIy y. anu
consequently the great air liner did not
respond well to its helmsman" That
paper adds that "the one clear pre-
sumption is that the safety of airships
depends most upon the skill OF their
commanders, their instinct of knowing
what to do in time of dire emergency.
and the sturdineSs of materials and de-
sign employed in construction"
While recognizing the value of the
proposal to supply helium from the
United States, the Toronto Daily Star
says: Canada in Alberta is wasting
SOS, 900 900 worth of natural gas every
year and one-third of l per cent of
the vast quantities turned loose is
helium. Prof. McLennan is responsible
for the statement that Canada has
enough helium to meet all the needs
of the empire. Canada ought to do
something about it"