Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-10
Why Arm Hitler?


DR.. Hugo Eckener, who has been de-
scribed as Hitlers gas envoy extraordi-
nary and helium minister plenipoten-
tiary, has returned to Washington to
discover that while helium is not an ex-
plosive gas. 1t is an extremely inf1am-
mable political question. Germany needs
helium, United States Government
owned world monopoly-the source of
supply being the Bureau Of Mines plant
at Amarillo, Texas-to re-establish It's
Zeppelin services. The Reichs remain.
ing ships were all grounded after the
hydrogen filled Hindenburg blew up over
Lakehurst.
That deplorable blast also drove legis-
lation through Congress, which for the
first time would permit. under certain
interpretations, export of helium. 1t is
specified that export permission must
be obtained from the Board of Munitions
Control, which is dominated by the State
Department and includes representatives
of the Army, Navy and Interior Depart
ment. After export is authorized, the
Secretary of the Interior may sell helium
under regulations which shall not per.
NIT accumulation OF helium in quanti-
ties Of military importance in any for
eign country"
The Control Board granted the Ger
man Zeppelin organization, which is, of
course, like everything else of potential
war value. an integral part Of the Nazi
military establishment. license to i'm
port approximately 100000 cubic feet
OF helium the first year. The Germans
want another 100000 cubic feet sub
sequently, but have received no license
for the additional supply. Assuming
that the initial license assured them the
hellum, they sent ship to Texas to get
the gas, and prepared to stoke their
Zeppelins with it.
When in accordance with the law the
proposed contract of sale reached Sec
rotary 1ckes' desk. instead of signing on
the dotted line, he held the document
up to the light and inspected the back
OF the pages. Then he called for the
law. He found Congress had made it
mandatory upon him mot to permit ac-
foundations of helium in quantities Of
military importance in any foreign
country" Brief investigation developed
that the transatlantic Zeppelin moored
in Friedrichshafen required only $780,
600 cubic feet of helium. When the in
quisitive Secretary of the Interior asked
why, under such circumstances, three
times as much had been licensed, he was
told that the excess was for repairing
leakage"
Even If that alibi held water, it failed
to appease Mr.. 1ckes curiosity about
the military Importance" Of helium.
He discovered that Admiral Cook, chief
OF the Nays Bureau of Aeronautics:
General Westover, chief of the Army
Air Corps; Colonel Charles A. LindberRh
and numerous others had testified that
helium was of specific military value.
However, Dr. Eckener, that intrepid Co.
lumbus OF the airways, deprecated the
significance of helium and vociferously
proclaimed that nobody, least of all der
Fuehrer, would think of using Zeppelins
for military purposes.
Meantime Secretary Ickes has with
held his assent to supplying the Nazis
with the priceless dirigible ingredient.
He seeks further light on helium's value
for war-light which is being pronered
to him in volume by hundreds Of anti
Fascists, pro-Fascists, orators, statesmen
and others whom President Roosevelt
recently classified as amateur strate-
gists."
Twenty-four years ago Germany in
vaded Belgium in spite of scrap Of
paper" guaranteeing her neutrality be-
cause necessity knows no law" It
would be casting aspersion on German
intelligence to imagine that if the Nazis
possessed 10000, 100000, 100000, 49,
100000, or 1so,oOo,Ooo cubic feet of he
lium, they would hesitate solitary Sec
ond to use it for military purposes II,
let us say, necessity" required Goering's
air force to attack Czechoslovakia. II
Eckener diplomacy at Washington, which
has set in with the usual wining and
dining overtures at the German EN-
bassy, had provided the Germans with
helium last winter, does anybody in his
right mind doubt that swastika bearing
lighter than air bombing craft, if
needed, would have done their deadly
bit to bring Austria to terms two months
ago this very day?
Secretary Ickes' skepticism about the
reliability of heNum pledges by Germany
is shared by millions of his fellow-citi-
zens. The United States has no business
arming regime pilloried by the Presi-
dent and by the Secretary Of State in all
but name as menace to peace and
democratic liberties.