Evening star., 1935-02-25

Another dirigible disaster brought
food of demands that the American
Navy stop experimenting with such
expensive and dangerous craft as the
Macon, which fell to destruction in
the Pacific. Yet there still are cham
pions among the newspapers Of the
great lighter -than-air cruisers.
ITO abandon these craft because de-
fects have not been overcome" says
the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury Herald,
"is to surrender to other nations the
development of a kind of air trans
port that may prove to be of great
value in war and commerce. The cost
of the Macon was S2,600,000. In re-
lation to our existing scale of expendi-
ture. this is trifling item which af-
fords no reason for abandoning what
may become an important means Of
air transport"
There is much about the dirigibles,"
the Boston Transcript comedies. tic
appeal to popular fancy. One of these
great ships of the air floating in the
sunlight, silvery sides cleaning against
the blue Of the sky, is spectacle OF
rare beauty. Its majestic proportions
tend to sense of power and security.
But" warns the Boston paper, "the
record indicates that this semblance
Of safety is in reality glittering de-
ception. The dirigibles are fair
weather craft. When they are called
upon to ride the gale, death stands by
the helmsman."
Value of the dirigible is doubted by
the Lincoln (Nebr.) State Journal,
while the Syracuse IN. " Herald
calls the fine conduct of officers and
crew in the recent disaster the sole re-
deeming feature Of a painful record
The Wichita (Kans) Eagle is con-
vinced that more progress would be
made in units built on a smaller scale"
The New Orleans Times-Picayune ad-
vises that "the sober Judgment of the
country has turned thumbs down on
this type of huge and unwieldly air
ships"
The Rockford Register Republic
predicts temporary abandonment OF
construction of these craft" and the
Haverhill (Mass) Gazette feels that
Congress will be reluctant to approve
building of more of the ships" The
Indianapolis News argues that friends
of the dirigible should look to pri-
vate enterprise"
Germany's success with lighter
than-air craft impresses the Youngs-
town (Ohio) Vindicator, which OBJ
serves: There can be no mystery in
the Germans successful operation of
dirigibles, as compared with our fall
ure. Evidently the Germans are more
careful, both in building and in op-
Grating their ships. They built the
Los Angeles, which IS the only one
of our dirigibles to survive. If they
had built and operated the Akron
and the Macon it is possible that
both would still be flying. The di-
rigible has become a challenge to
America-to our designers and build
ers and to our navigators. We should
not decide to abandon it until we
are ready to admit that we are in
capable of doing something that other
people can do"
The Long Beach (CaliD Press -Tele-
gram feels that "it Is not probable the
idea Of dirigibles in transocean trade
will be abandoned" while the Louis
vile Courier-Journal points out that
there are still champions of this
type Of craft" and the Flint (Mich)
Daily Journal makes the argument:
over q period of time, now that the
United States has no more lighter
than-air craft, the memories OF these
misfortunes will fade In the back
ground. Science will have additional
time to perfect its researches, weather
experts win gather more knowledge
Of the elements and Germany will con-
tinue as the proving ground of the
dirigible. The Nation should take