Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03

range SCOuI, operating lar IIOIu any
base for long periods Of time The
United States. having a long sea-
board, he reasons, needs such a
scout" He quoted Admiral of the
Fleet Earl Beatty as having said that
one airship can do the work Of seven
cruisers.
Taking Earl Beatty's figure of
seven as correct" he said, America
has for an expenditure of f369,0Oo
per year received a return on her
investment that today would cost this
country fl0,569,979, reckoned in
cruisers.
I'VE see. therefore, that where a
steady course Of development has been
pursued the airship proves to be the
most efficient and economical method
Of covering a large sea area against
surprise attack"
Denies Vulnerability.
He denied that the airship Is as
vulnerable to enemy attack as it has
been painted, pointing out that only
gross carelessness would bring it
within range of anti-aircraft bat
danger of destruction by enemy air
planes has been greatly overrated.
Il do not suggest for one moment
that the airship cannot be destroyed"
he said. Such a craft does not exist
But, as I have already said. much
of her vulnerability is mythical. She
can be destroyed by gunflre. and she
might be bombed On the other hand,
the very. very expensive, and doubt
fully efficient aircraft carrier, so
necessary to the heavier-than-air ma
chine, can be sunk by gunfire, mined,
torpedoed and bombed.
The carrier being, in this case,
part Of the airplane, renders that
type of aircraft the more vulnerable.
Without the one the other Is lost
besides which a few well-directed
bullets still cause your airplane to
crash in flames"
New Planes Near Completion.
Delivery of IS new Seversky basic
training airplanes of unusual type to
the Army Cir Corps is expected to be-
gin next July under the terms of
S750000 contract awarded by the War
Department to Maj. Alexander P. de
Seversky.
The new airplanes, although purely
land planes. are based upon the plans,
with necessary notifications, Of the
high-speed all-metal amphibian air
plane in which De Seversky set
former world speed record for air.
planes of this type. The new train
ers will incorporate many Of the most
advanced ideas in airplane design. In
Guiding special trailing-edge flaps and
streamlined tires.
The trainers are expected to be the
fastest airplanes used by the military
service for training purposes, with a
cruising speed Of more than $50 miles
per hour.
The De Seversky contract makes a
total of BAT new types Of aircraft or
dered by the War Department since
last June. majority of those ordered
being combat airplanes of various
kinds. The new trainers are to BE-
delivered at Randolph Field. Tex,
home of the Air Corps Primary Flying
| School.
Maj. De Seversky. who fought in
| the Russian imperial air forces dur
| ing the World War, is the designer
of bomb sights now widely used and
is a noted acrobatic flyer. His wife
Mrs. Evelyn de Seversky, also Is
noted flyer.
Bonded Shipment Flown.
What is said to be the first bonded
shipment ever carried by air through
Washington by an officially bonded
| air carrier was flown from from New
York to Miami few days ago en-
route to South America.
| The shipment, consisting Of two
packages of bacterial cultures weigh
ing AZ pounds, was consigned from
Denmark to the Colombian National
Hygienic Laboratories. 1t was flown
from New York to Miami by Eastern
Airlines. transshiped on a Pan
/ American Always plane to Barran-
quilla, and there taken over by Scad-
ia Airlines to be flown to Bogota,
! Colombia. 500 miles inland
Eastern Airlines completed nego-
tiations last month with the Treasury
Department to become the first do
mestic bonded air carrier. The sys-
tenn saves foreign shippers long Gus
toms delays in clearing ports of entry
while the shipment travels through
the United States.