Evening star., 1933-06-16
Delegates to London
Should Travel by Air
To the Editor Of The Star:

Your very timely editorial on the
restriction Of the American delegation
to q slow, inconvenient-but American
ship provokes some additional con-
siderations. On our entry into the
World War, an allied mission came
over here on one Of the fastest British
cruisers-partly for their protection
(although a cruiser did not succeed IN
protecting Lord Kitchener on his mis-
sion to Russia). 1t is reported that
our latest-built treaty heavy cruiser Is
being held In readiness to dash the
Commander in Chief across to the
London parley in record pace at some
timely juncture. So cruiser coulo
also have been available to our whole
delegation, giving them many addi-
tional useful days both In Washing
ton and London.
Or. II the enactments Of Congress
had been effective in encouraging the
American merchant marine to provide
express liners of adequate size Ito com
pete with the Bremen and Europa, for
example,. then these delegates wouio
have needed neither a cruiser, nor TO
nav their own way on a foreign ship,
to save time which would have been OF
great political value. Were such an
express liner of the flush-deck type used,
as was once proposed (making her avail
able as additional airplane carrier IN
event of war;, even more time couIo
have been saved by the delegates N.Y.
ing on and of her at either shore,
using the mail planes. If a presioen-
tial nominee can fly to q conVentlon,
and prepare his address en- route,
delegate could surely fly to ship.
This brings us to q further conSlo-
Grafton. In 1880 there was heio III
London another imperial conference
the predecessor Of the one at Ottawa,
the effect of which was to shut us on
from British Empire markets ana tne
aftermath Of which Is the aSsenpnns
of the present world economic parley,
again at London. Raising the empire
trade preference issue, the ConserVa-
tive. Bennett, won a Canadian eleccon
and the premiership, convoked rapid
FIRE session of Parliament to pass emer-
pency enabling legislation, and closee
its session in time to head his own
delegation. Meanwhile H. M. A. r. LOU
(his majesty's airship) flew to Canaoa
with many oficial passengers, new
about Canada a bit, and returned &c
England with added members OF Cana
da's press. The services OF this ar
ship were offered to the Canadian oef-
egation, the ship proposing 10 come
back on schedule and fetch them. II
was precisely to speed empire COM
munications and serve important per-
sonages and business men that the
airship had been built. 1t happened
the offer was not accepted.
Today the United States has big
ger and much better and faster ship
than H. M. A. r. 100-U. 8. A. Macon
UNITED States airship), now undergo
ing acceptance trials. One OF these
trials is for duration" that is, flying
steadily for relatively long period OF
time. This airship could very easily
and comfortably have picked up the
delegates, either at Washington or at
Lakehurst, and flown them to a field
outside London. Britain has facilities,
and plenty of sufficiently disciplined
men in her royal air force and other
arms to receive, dock and service our
airship. Or she could even have gone
to the ZEPPELIN port in Germany
(about the same distance as Geneva)
the delegation then proceeding by plane
This practical duration test of the
ship would have supplied a demon
stration much needed while Congress Is
investigating the utility Of airships, be-
sides serving in high way the pub
lie interest Of our high-speed admins
tration. What peppy entry of the
Americans into the international
arena! We can Judge the effect from
the Lindbergh precedent.
May I add that U. s. A. Macon Is
built tos be able to make a round-trir
voyage to Europe without stopping for
fuel, and carrying substantial load to
deposit at destination.
Compared with liner or cruiser, actual
hours will be given. Scout cruiser
U. S. 8. Omaha steamed to Hawaii a;
% knots, almost exactly the same speed
ds the Bremen. Hence New York tt
hours. Adding train time Washington
to New York, and Plymouth to Lon
don, five hours each, we get q tota'
OF Just five days, or 120 hours.
The A. s. Graf Zeppelin has crossed
America to Europe, coast to coast, in
just under so hours
U. s. A. Macon, with her fine speed
at 85 miles an hour, and being pushed
by the normal wind from the west tc
nearly 100 miles, should make it, Wash
lngton to London, In So to 40 hours
The train trips are eliminated, as the
airship goes over both sea and land.
Had Lord Kitchener proceeded te
Russia In a then existing English air.
ship. he would have been safer, as well
as saving time.
The United States and Germany are
tne only nations having this unique
speedy ocean transport. Ocean plano
lights are still hazardous stunts. and
normal wheel planes should never risk
crossing large bodies of water, wherea,
the Zeppelin continues her regular
South American schedule, for which
she was launched five years ago.
r. EMERSON.