Evening star., 1933-01-22
MERCHANT A|RSH|P
FATE RESTS |NB|LL
Defeat of McNary-Crosser
Measure Seen Ruin of
Great Organization.

Should the McNary -Crosser merchant
airship bill, which has been passed by
the House and now is pending In the
Senate. fail Of enactment during the
present session of Congress. the result
will be the breaking up of the greatest
airship construction organization in the
world and the end of all airship
building in the United States, 1t has
been learned
For the building of the two giant
Navy craft, the U. S. S. Akron, worlds
largest airship. and the U. S. S. Macon,
now nearing completion at Akron. Ohio,
the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation has
assembled from all parts of the world
the foremost authorities in airship en-
cheering. design and construction.
This organization, the finest in the
world, must be broken up and scattered
II the McNary- Crosser bill fails. Upon
passage Of this bill depends the future
Of the American commercial airship.
If the bill Is passed, the construction Of
the Macon will be followed by the
building Of giant passenger airship
and the gradual building up Of a great
American merchant airship industry.
II the bill fails the entire organization
will be broken up upon completion of
can airship progress will come to a
standstill
MacCracken Gives View.
Reports that the Goodyear organiza-
ton must be disbanded in event the
bill fails were confirmed here yesterday
by William p MacCracken. jr, former
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
aeronautics and attorney for the air
ship group. Mr.. MacCracken said that
1t probably would be impossible to keep
together even the smallest nucleus Of
the great organization which has been
built up over period Of years.
Disbanding of the organization which
built the Akron and Is completing the
Macon will deal American aeronautics
blow from which it will be many
years in recovering, in the opinion of
aviation leaders here The present
world airship progress is confined to
the United States and Germany and,
If the McNaryC Crosser bill is enacted
these two nations will cooperate to
build up great merchant airship
system. Should the bill fail the United
States will drop out of the picture and
Germany will be left undisputed
mistress Of the worlds airship industry.
GERMANY now is completing construc-
ton Of the greatest airship ever under
taken. a huge passenger and mail ship
which will aid the veteran Graf Zep-
pelin in the pioneering of merchant
airship transportation.
Code of Law Provided.
The McNary- Crosse bill. now pend
ing on the Senate calender, would set
up a code of law for merchant airships
somewhat similar to the merchant ma
rine laws. 1t also would authorize the
carrying of mail by airship in interna-
tionsl traffic. on the same basis of pay
ment which now applies to steamship
mail. The bill would provide laws
governing matters Of insurance. dam
ages and salvage of goods and material.
1t would permit the setting up of agen-
cies for development of airship traffic
similar to those which have been
created for the guidance Of steamship
companies
In the absence Of such laws it is use
less to build airships for civil use. since
it would be impossible to build UP in
ternational traffic. the only field in
which the dirigible now can be en-
ployed efficiently and profitably. in the
opinion Of the country's airship leaders.
Washington has direct interest in
creation Of a merchant airship in
dustry. since the American terminal for
transatlantic airship traffic would be
located in the vicinity of the Capital,
probably at Hybla Valley, near Alex
andria, Va. on a site which has been
under study for the past three years
by Goodyear engineers and meteor
clogsts.