Evening star., 1937-05-10

Maj. George L. Berry's appointment to
the Senate from Tennessee makes him
the first top flight leader OF organized
labor to gain a seat in Congress. Some
men identified with the movement have
previously been elected to the House,
but never before has an ofncial Of the
rank of president of the International
Pressmen'S Union been sent to the Cap
itol. OF even greater significance at this
time is the fact that John L. Lewis now
has personal spokesman in Congress.
Berry is president OF labor's Nom
Partisan League and the c. I. o. boss is
chairman of its board. They campaigned
shoulder to shoulder for Roosevelt last
year. Berry has long aspired to national
political honors. He came within three
votes Of being nominated for Vice Presi-
dent on the Democratic ticket in 1924, as
John w. Davis running mate. Few
American labor leaders are 80 well known
abroad. After serving with the Army
Engineers in France, he became Samuel
Gompers' right-hand man in the labor
advisory section OF the American Peace
Mission at Paris. From the outset NAL
Berry was the White House choice for
the Tennessee senatorial vacancy, be-
cause of his ardent advocacy Of the court
bill. At the big labor rally staged at
Washington In March to mobilize sup
port for it, Berry proclaimed that just
as his organization had rescued" the
New Deal in 1896. 1t now proposed to
come to F. D. RS rescue" In the Su-
preme Court tight.
BY fateful coincidence, Sea Power.
organ of the Navy League, devotes
principal space in Its current issue to
an article by Comdr. c. E. Rosendahl,
U. 8. NJ, commandant OF Lakehurst,
acclaiming the virtues Of airships OF the
Hindenburg pattern for American naval
purposes. An ardent believer in the
lighter-than-air type, Rosendahl con-
tends that among their other qualities,
big dirigibles have demonstrated the
complete service feasibility of carrying
their own planes to sea and utilizing
them enciently for detailed scouting
purposes" He predicts that future
airships will carry more than five planes.
In addition, he stresses their effective
ness for long-range bombing attacks.
Comdr. Rosendahls conclusion Is that
"the situation resolves itself into
whether we are willing to pay for air.
ship development pioneering price
comparable to that in the history OF
every other type. Much of the pick and
shovel work Is done, but we have not
wholly completed the experimental Pc
r1od. Americans have solved much more
difncult and expensive problems. II we
attack the airship problem with char
acteristic American momentum, 1t seems
definitely indicated that airships, both
as = naval arm and as part OF our
aerial merchant marine, can contribute
effectively to the sea power OF the
United States"
l. Destruction of the Hindenburg recalls
fact not generally known in this
country-that the late Count Zeppelin
had his baptismal venture in the air
with the Union Army in the American
Civil War. A lieutenant Of Cavalry, the
year 1853 found him, aged IS, doing
duty over here as Wuertemberg's mill
tary attache. He joined tho Army OF
the Mississippi, In which Gen. Carl
Schurz commanded brigade. On one
occasion Lieut.. Zeppelin narrowly es-
capped being taken prisoner by Confed-
crate forces. The counts initial flight
was IN ascent in q captive balloon sent
up by Federal troops for observation OF
enemy positions. He alightsd 20 enthusi-
astio over his maiden sxpsfisncs alofe
that ha received pegnniaasoo 70 make
regular asoec1A 1nctdpntalHt - . con-