Evening star., 1936-05-05

VuHL 0fuy hHucHOHIV are Qes
scribed here by a distinguished
British Dor1dn journalist, who wiu
be one OF the passengers on the
voyage and who mill send dis. ,
patches from the dirship while en-
route.
BY LADY DRUMMOND-HAY,
Special Correspondence of The Star.
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. Germany,
May (By wireless) The Graf Hin
denburg, her motors overhauled,
tested and reinstalled, is ready to de-
part on schedule Wednesday on her
first flight over the North Atlantic.
Passengers, thrilled with anticipation.
are beginning TO arrive. and the pro- :
visioning Of the giant airship proceeds
apace.
AS is It's usual custom, the Zeppelin
company is maintaining strict secrecy
regarding the passenger list until the
airship leaves the ground, but this
correspondent has learned that the
following are numbered among the
so passengers:
Capt. Sinclair, editor OF the only
magazine devoted to airships; Comdr.
Peck of the United States Navy, Mrs.
Clara Adams, Mr.. and Mrs. Walter
S. Leeds of Palm Beach, Miss M. E.
Brooks. fashion expert of the Lon
don Tatler; Mrs. Ella Parker. Mai.
Turner, British aeronautical expert;
DR.. T. G. Bowdell, winner of the trip
as the prize in a London newspaper
competition; James McVitte of Chi
cago, DR.. Theodor Lewald, chairman
of the Olympics Organization Com
mittee; Countess Won Waldeck, au-
thoress under the pseudonym "R.
c.; Norman Holden. British f1nal-
cier; Sir Hubert and Lady wilkins.
Nine. Tatiana, well-known French
woman journalist; DR.. Max Jordan
and Count Won Schwerin, correspon-
dent for Gen. Goerings newspaper,
the Essener Zeitung.
Applications Transferred.
Twenty-odd applications for berthS
for this first flight have been trans
ferred to the second flight. Altogether,
there will be l04 persons aboard-54
in the crew. including 10 learners.
cooks and stewards, and so pas
sengers. A special plane, carrying pas
sengers and final mails, will leave
Berlin Tuesd-y night or wednesday
morning.
DR.. Hugo Eckener. who Is again
persona grata with the Nazi govern
ment. will be in charge, with Capt.
Eril lehman under him. There will
be no attempt to establish record,
for both DR.. Eckener and Capt.
Lehman are prepared to delay the
actual arrival, If that should be neces-
sary, to permit a daytime flight over
New York, Washington and Philadel-
phia before arrival at Lakehurst, N. j.
When the Graf Hindenburs lifts
her 220 tons from the Loewenthal
Airdrome here she will not be "just
another zeppelin" but phoenix rising
from the ashes of the Inflated R-10l,
Akron and Macon to confront scept-
cal world with Germany's bid for the
North transatlantic commercial air
traffic. The 803foot-long airship,
carrying mail and freight. which may
easily include light airplane or two.
or an automobile or two If any one
wants them, along with so passengers
travelling in luxury. will be the arbiter
of the fate of lighter -than-air craft
for a long time to come.
Welcomes Flying Boats.
DR.. Eckener never has accepted the .
flying boat as a rival of the Zeppelin
for transocean commercial air trafic.
Therefore. he does not envisage the
90 short flying boats ordered by I'm
perial Always for carrying all first
class empire mail by air as serious
competition for the North trans
Atlantic route He told this writer
that flying boats and airships are as
complementary to each other as ex-
press trains and steamships, and he
seemed very pleased to welcome the
flying boats.
The maiden voyage Of the Queen
Mary is what your journalists call
front page news, and deservedR So"
said Capt lehman. I'VE shall not
divert public attention from the
Queen Mary on that voyage. 1t would
not be sportsmanlike. 1t is true that
the suggestion was made to US to race
the Queen Mary to New York. The
suggestion came from the other side
of the Atlantic. 1t would make news,
we were told. We vetoed it immedi-
ately. 1t was not considered for a
NO
might race the Queen Mary TO show
the difference in time in crossing the
Atlantic between Britain's crack
ocean liner and Germany's pride of
the air, but not on the Queen Msry's
maiden voyage"
California Bids Rejected.
DR.. Eckener sent his regrets to the
Mayors of San Francisco, Los An
geles and San Diego, who cabled him
invitations to bring the Graf Hinden-
burg to California. Unfortunately,
the Hindenburg is not private yacht,
but a commercial craft that has to
earn money and make our living"
remarked DR.. Eckener.
Including insurance, depreciation
crude oil fuel, hydrogen gas for
lift" wages of the crew and food,
a round-trip flight from Friedrich
shafen to Lakehurst and back costs
approximately 100000 marks (about
100000. With all the cabins sold out
and the heavy mail that is expected,
the Hindenburg will do little better
than break even on the first flight.
tCopyright 1885. by the North American