Young Giant's Bills

Like a friendly young giant peering from his tower, aviation has long had an eye upon the rich caravan of men & goods which moves unendingly across the North Atlantic. Though it has occasionally sallied forth offering to carry a share of the load, aviation has thus far failed. But last week new carrying credentials were being written for the young giant when the House Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee reported favorably the Grosser Airship Bill authorizing the Postmaster General to let transoceanic mail contracts, and the Senate's Committee reported the McNary Bill to promote dirigible airlines.

Though no appropriations are provided. President Paul Weeks Litchfield of Good-year-Zeppelin Corp. announced that passage of the two bills this session would be accepted as authority to begin construction of the first of four 7,500,000 cu.-ft. ships, two for the North Atlantic service, two for a projected Pacific route. Even larger than the LZ-129 now abuilding in Germany, each ship will carry 80 passengers, 25,000 lb. of mail and express, will make the eastward passage in two and a half days, the westward in three. To expedite the mails, the Federal Government will pay about $20 a mile for an average load of 10,000 lb., $8 more than it spends at present for shipment on crack liners. Individual passenger fares will be about one and one-half times the de luxe boat rate.*

To International Zeppelin Transport Corp. (backed by National City Co.) will probably go the first of President Litchfield's giant gas bags if built. Using weather reports from ships at sea, Vice President Jerome Clarke Hunsaker has made hundreds of theoretical crossings, has gathered an abundance of lore to swell the experience of previous actual crossings. He estimates that schedules can be maintained 80% of the time, that his company can wax rich on a diversion of but 4% of the present deluxe steamship traffic.

P: Pilot Arthur Bussey of Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, advertised last week for four passengers to Europe in his trimotored Ford. The plane will hop via Harbor Grace, Newfoundland as soon as the four fares are booked. No publicity hunter himself, Pilot Bussey announced that he had received 40 inquiries from curioseekers, few genuine prospects.

* Passage on the Graf from Friedrichshafen to Pernambuco. Brazil is $480 with a 10% reduction for round-trip

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