The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-22

This is enough helium to aid materially in blowing up the city of London, or Paris, or to pro- vide gas for the operation of mili- tary balloons during an entire war. In fact, it is priceless military gift to any belligerent na- tion, and so anxious has Germany been to get it that 8 Nazi ship has been moored at Houston Texas, waiting to load it aboard and race for Hamburg.
 The gas was mined at Amarillo, Texas, and has been held await ing final word from Washington before being sent to Houston and loaded aboard the German ves- sel. It was actually about to be dispatched when watchful Secre- tary of the Interior Ickes got skeptical regarding Germany's use of the gas and intervened.
 The helium was to be sold to
 Germany under the law passed by Congress last year after the Hindenburg disaster. However, there are some neat jokers in the present sale which went un- noticed until caught by Ickes. One of these is the fact that a Zeppelin only requires 6,000,- 900 cubic feet of helium, whereas Germany is getting 19,800,00O cubic feet this, year.
 She has specified that she wants little extra for experimentation and in order to send the new Zeppelin around Europe - but this does not explain her get ting three times as much as re- quired. In addition to. this, Ger many is to receive 40,000,O00 cubic feet of helium within the next two years.
 Helium Act
 The helium deal was approved Joe Green, State Department munitions controller, and by army and navy experts, on the ground that it was in line with an act of Congress. Since Congress passed the act, however, Europe has been seething, and Hitler has given every indication that he will provoke war if anyone thwarts him.
 The nter-departmental com- mittee has asked for pledges that the helium will be used only for scientific and commercial trans portation purposes, and apparent ly Cabinet members have been naive enough to believe that Ger many will keep her word.
 Meanwhile, a German Zeppe- lin lobbyist, residing in the Mayflower hotel, has been urg- ing immediate action; while
 Herman GOering, Nazi War marshal, also an official of the
 Zeppelin cOmpnay, has been clamoring for the helium.
 NOTE-The United States has virtually complete monopoly on helium-and 1t is almost indis- persable to balloon or Zeppelin operation in war. Helium gas bags cannot be readily shot down, because helium does not explode when hit by bullet. And the army has perfected a system of patching balloons in mid-air so that balloons can continue buoy ant even when punctured by bull lets.
 Sigmund Freud
 All last week the State Depart ment was busy sending frantic telegrams to Austria to try to save the lives of various people in danger of being shot by Hit Ter. One of the most famous of the group was Dr. Slgmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis.
 Freud, it was reported back to Washington, was bitterly hated by Hitler, who had given orders for his immediate arrest. Of Jewish extraction and a great advocate of Austrian independence, Freud had been singled out above all others to face the firing squad. He ignored the urgings of friends to flee the country before the borders were closed, and remained in his Vienna home.
 Freud will be 82 years old in May and is not well. Whether the State Department will be suc- cessful in its entreaties that his life be spared remains to be seen. Amos 'n' Andy Capper
 One Washington cop is firmly convinced that Senators are "queer".
 He was patrolling Connecticut avenue in a squad car one even- ing last week when he saw a big automobile tearing past at over 60 miles an hour. After run of sev- eral blocks the policeman finally caught the speeder.
 To his astonishment, the driver was Kansas veteran Senator Ar thur Capper.