God-Given

Many a disaster has proved that the only safe gas to use in dirigibles is helium, and the world's helium comes from the U. S. Under an agreement with the U. S. made last year Germany was assured a supply of helium sufficient to operate its North Atlantic airship route, planned to commence service with the new LZ-130 in June. Then Hitler absorbed Austria and out of the welter of triumphant speeches the U. S. gathered that its helium might be used for war, held up the shipment. Last week Germany inquired through U. S. Ambassador Hugh Wilson when it might expect the agreed shipment of 17,900,000 cu. ft. In January Germany's helium ship Dessau, with 486 steel cylinders aboard, each accommodating 5,600 cu. ft. of highly compressed gas, docked at Houston, Tex., ready to take back to Germany the first installment. Ambassador Wilson was reminded that Germany had gone to "considerable expense" to revamp the LZ-130 from hydrogen to helium. Last week it became known in Washington that President Roosevelt had taken the question under personal consideration after the Departments of State and the Interior had split on it.

To make the sale of helium to Germany impossible in this or any other year New Jersey's Congressman J. Parnell Thomas, in the House last week, demanded repeal of the Helium Act of 1937, permitting sales of helium abroad. "Germany," cried Representative Thomas, "is asking for three times as much helium as its new dirigible would require . . . would, in time of war, supply flying power for three large dirigibles ... 100 blimps ... 150 sausage balloons."

This was bad news not only to helium-hungry Germany but to brave, energetic, 45-year-old Commander Charles Emery Rosendahl, Swedish-descended, Chicago-born airship enthusiast and chief of Lakehurst, N. J. Naval Air Station. Last week

Commander Rosendahl published a 431-page, ably projected defense of airships in commerce and war.* Of helium, Commander Rosendahl wrote: ". . . It appears that nature has so bounteously endowed the United States with helium supplies as to give us not only a virtual world monopoly but also a supply that will be practically unlimited for generations. It now remains to be seen whether we shall take advantage of this God-given situation and utilize our boundless supply of helium . . . in airships for our national defense and for carrying our mail, merchandise and passengers through oceanic airlines all over this globe."

*WHAT ABOUT THE AIRSHIP? Scribncr ($3.50).

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