Evening star., 1939-05-06
EVENING WASHINGTON. D. G., SATURDAY, g.
Cancels Cruise
Of Midshipmen 10
European Waters
Action Is Apparent
Result Of War.
Tension Abroad
A~ xA> A,.~>l.A>A n.>.

~ the Associated Press.
Three United States battleships
and 400 midshipmen will be kept
out Of possible trouble zones In
European waters as the result Of q
naval order published today.
Without explanation, the Navy
announced cancellation Of plans to
route the annual three-month prac-
tice cruise Of the midshipmen to
Europe.
A new itinerary is being worked
out that will keep the Naval Acad-
emy students on this side of the At
lantic. 1t is expected the new route
will include various Atlantic ports,
and possibly some on the Pacific,
but none in South America.
Apparently rejecting oflcial con-
Germ over war tension In Europe, the
cancellation was announced as cryp-
tically as last months sudden order
returning the main feet to the Pa
cific five weeks ahead Of schedule.
Were to Sail June z.
Every years for more than dec
ade the academy's first and third
classes have cruised to Europe for
summer training. They were sched-
uled to sail from Annapolis June 2,
the day following commencement,
and to return August 81, after Wis
iting British, Dutch and Baltic ports.
Naval circles noted the original
schedule would have taken 5000
miles from their base three battle
ships comprising the backbone Of
the new Atlantic squadron, the New
York. Texas and Arkansas.
Another development in the Navy's
rejection of all bids for construction
of the 50 900 900 dirigible which Con-
gress authorized last year. This ac-
ton, likewise announced without
explanation. was taken after naval
officials had been criticized both for
the comparatively small size Of the
airship decided on and for their fall
ure to consider an all-metal tear
drop" design. New bids will be
called for soon, 1t was indicated, but
there was no hint as to whether
either the size or design would be
altered.
Since the loss of the dirigible Ma
con in 1885 and of the Akron two
years previously, controversy has
accompanied every move toward re-
suming the Navy's experimentation
with lighter -than-air craft.
Authorized Last Year.
Congress, in the million dollar
Fleet Expansion Act of last year, au-
thorized another rigid airship of s.
600 900 cubic foot maximum size to
cost not more than $1,000 900.
A start was delayed until compile
ton of study President Roosevelt
said he was making personally. Then
bids weer asked on a craft only 1926
feet long, of 1880 900 cubic foot ca
pacity.
Officially the only bids were those
of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp,
Akron. Ohio, builders of the Akron
and Macon. The concern asked ST.
997 ,482 for a craft Of this size, 81. .940,-
$50 for the 660-foot long craft the
Navy originally contemplated, and
$7609l6 for a small pressure" type
ship.
Thomas B. Slate, vice president of
the American Mechanical Engineer
ing Corp, complained to a House
Naval Appropriations Subcommittee
that his concern had submitted a bid
on the "teardrop" design which the
Navy disregarded.
Only two days ago the House re-
ceived from its Appropriations Com
mittee a recommendation that a
dirigible of 5000 900 cubic feet, large
enough to carry planes, should be
undertaken.