Evening star., 1934-11-04
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, JR.

dlrlSlDle line, sponsors OF tnlS
/ revived aviation project are, per-
haps unwittingly, tearing a page
from the book, Caesars Column, :
written by former Minnesota Repre-
sentative who might well be called
the Jules Verne of America"
Nearly half a century ago, Ignatius
Donnelly. who later stirred the Shake
speare-B Bacon controversy profoundly
by the publication of THE Great
Cryptogram, envisioned trans Atlantic
air travel, with dirigibles operat-
ing on a frequent schedule at tire
mendous" speed, presumably 100 miles
per hour This and many other pre-
dictions. strange at the time Caesar S
Column" was written, already are true,
or have excellent prospects Of becom-
ing a reality long before the day fixed
for their fulfillment.
The dirigible prophecy was some
what realized in 1928. when the Graf
Zeppelin was launched. The next year
it began transocean service between
F'rederickshaven, Germany, and the
South American continent. This gi-
gantic airship, fulfilling to a large ex-
tent the description in Donnelly's
prophetic work, already has made more
than 60 trips between Germany and
Buenos Aires, has transported about
95 900 pounds of freight, 5000 pounds
of mail and 5000 paying guests" in
its 100000 miles of successful travel
1t has circled the globe, flown over the
arctic and made several trips to the
United States. Six years of service
without serious mishap argue that At
lantic travel by dirigible is no longer
an experiment but an actuality.
U. s. Dirigibles Defended.
In the light of the fate which over
took the Shenandoah and the Akron
America perhaps remembers dirigibles
as a disastrous method of extending
mans conquest of the air. But two
outstanding friends of aviation re-
Gently have focused the attention of
Americans on the possibilities of diri-
gible service between the United
States and Europe.
Former Senator Hiram Bingham,
testifying before the Presidents Avia-
ton Commission a few weeks ago,
urged the establishment of trans
Atlantic line. Mr.. Bingham, who was
until recently president of the Ma
tional Aeronautical Association, con-
tends that dirigibles would be more
useful for over water flights than over
land
The airship should be a part of
our merchant marine" the former
Senator said, in advocating Govern
ment subsidy for the projected line.
Mr. Bingham would have designs for
the ships approved by the Navy De-
partment so they could be used for
scouting service in time of war.
The other outstanding advocate of
dirigibles, who is fortunate enough to
be able to back up his words with
wealth of experience and with deeds.
is responsible for the successful record
of the Graf He is DR.. Hugo Eckener.
who piloted the ship around the world
and has directed its numerous flights
across the Atlantic Testifying last
week before the Aviation Commission,
DR.. Eckener revealed that plans are
being completed for regular service
across the North Atlantic by the
LZ-129, the worlds biggest airship,
now under construction in Germany.
Trips would be made from June to
November.
The premiere Zeppelin airman de-
clared that the record of the Graf
removes all shadow of doubt regard
ing the practicability of lighter-than-
air craft for commercial transporta-
ton.
1T is for this reason" he said, "that
airship service between the United
States and Europe should be inaugu-
rated with minimum of delay. par
ticularly in consideration of the
immense significance and importance
of this busy traffic line across the
Atlantic"
Such men as these, destined to play
important roles in the battle for
dirigible service, Mr. Donnelly foresaw.
Saw Use in War.
He also predicted the use Of poison
gas in warfare, with dirigible crews
raining down bombs of lethal mists.
Electric engines furnished the. motive
power for the ships. The futuristic
author also forecast television, al
though he made no attempt to des-
cribe its mechanics.
He overlooked air conditioning as
we know it now. but pictured a great
hotel which drew its pure air through
a great pipe running miles into the