Professional Notes

UNITED STATES

Navy Bill Reported

Star, Washington, April 30.—A record peace-time naval appropriations bill providing $531,068,707 for adding more ships, air fighters, and men to the nation’s sea defenses was approved today by the House Appropriations Committee.

Authority to build two new battleships was granted—provided any foreign signatory of a naval treaty should begin capital ship replacement.

Frankly stating it had in mind the apparent mandate of Congress in the Vinson- Trammell treaty-navy act of “a navy second to none,” the Appropriations Committee said its bill would add to funds otherwise available to give the Navy $592,237,707 during the 1937 fiscal year beginning July 1.

The bill’s total was $49,337,328 above the 1936 appropriations of $481,731,379, but $18,522,592 under the $549,591,299 budget estimates.

Although specific amounts were not allotted for starting the battleships, Admiral William H. Standley, Chief of Naval Operations, has told the House Naval Committee funds were available for beginning work on the vessels.

The bill allowed $168,500,000 for continuing construction on 84 vessels of various types, exclusive of battleships, and laying down 12 new destroyers and 6 new submarines. This leaves 23 destroyers and 8 submarines unprovided for that may be built under existing agreements.

Provision also was made for 333 more airplanes for the regular Navy, but two nonrigid airships were disallowed.

The bill authorized boosting the naval enlisted strength from 93,500 to 100,000 with 3,000 to be added the next year, and increasing the Marine Corps enlisted strength from 16,000 to 17,000 with 500 to be taken in during the year. The committee said the actual increase for the Navy would be 8,500 from the 88,000 appropriated for this year.

Chairman Cary of the House Naval Appropriations Subcommittee which considered the measure, declared at the opening of the hearings in February:

While this is a record peace-time bill, we all knew when the present naval policy was established it necessarily would mean continued heavy appropriations. . . . We are compelled to spend a lot of money that should have been spent during the years we were trying to set an example in disarmament to the rest of the world—an example that was not followed.

Auxiliary Program

Herald Tribune, New York, April 23.— The construction of 54 new naval auxiliary vessels in the next 10 years at an estimated cost of $175,000,000 was approved today by the House Naval Affairs Committee.

Its action on a program designed to raise the auxiliary ship strength to needs of a treaty navy came on the heels of a proposal by Admiral William H. Standley, Chief of Naval Operations, that two new battleships be built. Admiral Standley’s request for authorization to proceed with laying the keels of the battleships is now under consideration by President Roosevelt.

The 54 auxiliary vessels will have a total displacement of 221,000 tons. The Navy Department, which has indorsed the program, favored a blanket tonnage authorization rather than authorization for specific ships on the ground that changing conditions might require revision of plans.

Vessels authorized under the Vinson auxiliary ship bill are: 6 gunboats, totaling about 12,000 tons; 15 mine sweepers and 7 light airplane tenders, totaling 34,400 tons; 10 fleet tugs, about 13,000 tons; 8 aircraft tenders, 3 destroyer tenders and 1 submarine tender, about 83,600 tons; 6 store, 1 cargo, 2 repair and 1 hospital ship, totaling 65,000 tons, and 1 oiler and 1 survey ship totaling about 13,000 tons.

The measure provides that any bid for construction on the Pacific coast of any of the vessels shall have a 6 per cent differential in its favor. This section was advocated by representatives from California, Washington, and Oregon on the grounds that Navy facilities on the west coast are inadequate and the differential would aid in rehabilitation of Pacific coast yards. They contended that any naval emergency “will come from the Pacific” and emphasized most of the Navy is now stationed in the Pacific Ocean.—Washington, April 22.

Seal Herd Protected

Star, Washington, April 2.—Ten Coast Guard vessels began outfitting today for seal patrol duty—the annual task of escorting romantically- minded seals to their Bering Island breeding grounds.

The seagoing tug, Redwing, will leave Port Angeles, Wash., within the next day or two to provide protection for the migrating seals against poachers. Other craft will join the patrol until the herds reach their barren island rookeries in early summer.

“We’ve seen a few seals off the coast, but they are just the advance guard,” said Captain R. W. Dempwolf, commander of this year’s seal patrol. “The main herds will be off the coast late this month and in May.”

Seal protection is one of the most important and most colorful of Coast Guard duties in the North Pacific. In the days before the seal treaty was signed, in 1910, unrestrained slaughter made the herds nearly extinct. Today, under strict supervision, the seal herds have increased to somewhere between 1,500,000 and 3,000,000.

When the bulls have selected their harems and the pups are born, the United States Bureau of Fisheries supervises the annual treaty slaughter on the islands. Last year’s “crop” totaled 57,200 skins for the world of fashion—shared between the United States, England, and Japan.— Seattle, April 2.

Excess Profits Denied

Sun, Baltimore, April 26.—Private shipbuilders charged the Senate Munitions Committee today with “amazing inaccuracy” in accusing the shipyards of making excess profits out of warship contracts.

The accusations were made by H. Gerrish Smith, president of the National Council of American Shipbuilders in New York. They appeared almost simultaneously with an announcement by a Senate Finance subcommittee of an agreement on war profits taxes.

The plan approved would lay a 10 per cent war tax on incomes, graduated upward so as to bear down heavily upon big earnings in time of war.

Out of the approval grew a plan by the Senate Munitions Committee to seek to have the tax attached to the new revenue bill, although the subcommittee did not approve the same tax suggested by the Munitions Committee.

The latter proposal had been for a tax that would take all individual earnings above $10,000 in war time. While not so severe, the Finance Subcommittee’s plan, graduating upward with surtaxes would take $880,510 of tax out of million-dollar incomes.

The shipbuilders’ spokesman in a letter to Chairman Nye (Rep., N.D.) protested the Munitions Committee’s assertions that there were “evidences of fraud” and indications of “collusion” in warship contracts negotiated by shipyards with the government, both in war times and in the years since.

The committee accusations, based on months of testimony, were contained in a report submitted to the Senate last June. It was labeled preliminary, and Smith said the shipbuilders expected it would be superseded “by a carefully measured document which, at least, would be expected to adhere to historical truths and plain facts as they were developed during weeks of hearings.”

But when the committee a week ago submitted a second report on the process of its inquiry, it adopted the terms of the previous naval building report, thus, Smith complained, making it the permanent finding of the committee.

“By the use of unjustified inference and by a selection of testimony designed to support the desired findings,” Smith wrote, “the shipbuilding industry has been done a grave injustice, and has been condemned through inadequate and prejudiced testimony, with regard to the true facts. I find your report replete with inaccuracies and conclusions which cannot be justified either by the historical facts or by the testimony taken.”—Washington, April 25.

Various Notes

Bluejackets swarmed over battleships and cruisers today, dressing the United States fleet for its annual maneuvers—a period when the Navy parades its knowledge for commanding officers.

Sailing under unprecedented naval secrecy, the 150 ships and 450 aircraft will put to sea Monday for 6 weeks of maneuvers in Pacific waters down to and around the western entrance of the Panama Canal.

Somewhere at sea the fleet will work out its annual problem. Admiral J. M. Reeves, commander in chief who will soon be relieved, has thrown the greatest secrecy around this year’s test maneuver—“Problem XVII.”—Sun, Baltimore. San Pedro, Calif., April 24.

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, an outspoken opponent of war but an advocate of armament for defense, today sponsored the launching of the $19,000,000 aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown.

The broad-decked 17,000-ton vessel, designed to mother a brood of a hundred or more planes and carry more than 2,000 men, was the first ship launched in the Roosevelt navy-building program, authorized in 1933.

Mrs. Roosevelt said, after the launching, that she considered her sponsorship of a war vessel by no means incompatible with her frequent speeches against war.

“One country by itself cannot limit armaments,” she said, “I hope some day the nations will agree to arms limitation, but until then we must build our Navy to treaty strength in order not to be defenseless against attack.”—Herald Tribune, N.Y. Newport News, Va., April 4.

The U.S.S. Drayton, first line destroyer of 1,500 tons displacement, slid into the waters of the Kennebec River at the Bath Iron Works shipyard yesterday. Barbara E. Drayton, 13, great grandniece of Commodore Percival Drayton, U. S. N., for whom the destroyer was named, christened the vessel.—Tribune, Chicago. Bath, Me., March 27.

The big, modern U. S. Lightship Nantucket, which will mark the spot off Nantucket where its similarly named predecessor was rammed by the SS. Olympic two years ago, was launched today at the yards of the Pusey & Jones Corp. Miss Edith E. King, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, daughter of Harold G. King, Commissioner of Lighthouses, sponsored the launching. Federal, state, and city officials attended the ceremony.—Herald Tribune, N.Y. Wilmington, Del. March 21 (A*).

The following mention is quoted from the Hydrographic Bulletin of January 22, 1936: “The attention of shipmasters is called to the procedure followed by planes of a Navy squadron when a plane is forced down, in order that assistance may be rendered as quickly as possible:

‘A plane flies several times across the bow of the nearest surface vessel opening and closing the throttle, and then flying in the direction of the plane in distress. This signal will be repeated until the surface vessel acknowledges by following the plane. If possible the plane will remain in sight of the surface vessel until the ship sights the plane in distress. All planes will resort to the use of available pyrotechnics as necessary to attract the attention of surface vessels.’ ”—The Log, San Francisco.

The Navy Department announced today that sealed bids for the sale of the obsolete cruiser Alton, the former U.S.S. Chicago, will be opened in the Navy Department on April 30, 1936. The Alton is out of commission at the Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, T. H., where for years she served as a barracks for enlisted men of the Submarine Base.—Press Release, April 1.

The Navy Department announced today that a selection board convened by the Secretary of the Navy on April 1,1936, has selected the below named officers of the Naval Reserve Medical Corps for promotion to the next higher grades to fill existing and future vacancies:

For promotion to Captain (Medical Corps'): Commander Porter Bruce Brockway, Commander LeRoi Goddard Crandon.

For promotion to Commander (Medical Corps): Lieutenant Commander James Joseph Hogan, Lieutenant Commander Albert Soiland.—Press Release, April 15.

The International Ice Patrol for 1936 was inaugurated today by the Coast Guard upon the recommendation of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, U. S. Navy, in charge of the Hydrographic Office, Navy Department, and will be continued as long as icebergs and ice fields are reported in the vicinity of the North Atlantic steamship lanes.— Press Release, March 24.

The designed dimensions of the Yorktown and those of the aircraft Ranger, which was commissioned in 1934 are:

Another aircraft carrier, the Wasp, designed standard displacement 14,200 tons, is under construction by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. Her keel was laid April 1, 1936.— Press Release.

The schedules for cruises for members of the Naval Reserve during the summer of 1936 have been approved. It is expected that approximately 1,000 officers and 10,000 enlisted men of the Naval Reserve will participate in these cruises performing active duty at sea for two weeks.

Destroyer Squadron One, Destroyer Squadron Ten, and, after completion of the midshipmen’s practice cruise, the battleship U.S.S. Arkansas and the training ship U.S.S. Wyoming will be employed in the training of Naval Reserves embarked at Atlantic and Gulf ports. A light cruiser, to be designated later, with four destroyers, will embark Naval Reserve divisions at west coast ports.

Every vessel during a cruise will visit a designated port for liberty. Among those to be visited by east coast vessels will probably be Kingston, Jamaica, Guantanamo, Cuba, St. Thomas, V.I., San Juan, Puerto Rico, Hamilton and St. George, Bermuda. Divisions from southern ports will have liberty in New York, while some from the northern districts will visit Savannah, Jacksonville, or Charleston.

During the first cruise in the Arkansas and Wyoming, liberty will probably be in Halifax, and the divisions making the second cruise in them will probably visit Guantanamo. Visit by west coast divisions will be made to Honolulu, Vancouver, or Matzalan, Mexico.

Members of the Naval R.O.T.C. units will cruise during the period between June 1 and July 15. Liberty ports to be visited during their cruises have not been announced. Destroyers will be employed for the units embarking in east coast ports and a battleship with two destroyers for units from University of California and University of Washington.

Upon completion of duty in connection with the training of Naval Reserves Destroyer Squadron One will be placed out of commission at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia. It is anticipated that this decommissioning will commence early in October, 1936.—Press Release.

Captain Lucius W. Johnson, (M.C.) U. S. Navy, has received the 1936 lectureship award of the Kober Foundation in recognition of his outstanding researches and work in plastic and facial surgery, it was announced today at Georgetown University. In announcing the award, Rev. Arthur A. O’Leary, S. J., president, said that the choice had been made unanimously by the executive committee of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. The subject of Captain Johnson’s lectures for 1936, under the terms of the Foundation, is “Plastic Surgery in Relation to Armed Forces, Past, Present, and Future.” His first lecture will be given at Georgetown University March 28, before a distinguished group of scientists, physicians, and dentists.—Press Release, March 25.

The following is the schedule of the summer cruise for Fleet Divisions: All divisions—July 25 to August 7, 1936, inclusive. (No changes to be made) 1st & 2d divisions—embark and debark at San Francisco—destroyers; 3d, 4th, 5th, & 6th divisions—embark and debark at San Francisco—light cruiser.

Complete schedule including tentative liberty ports will be furnished at a later date.

The U. S. Merchant Marine Naval Reserve flag was hoisted on the SS. Diamond Head of the Matson Navigation Co., with appropriate ceremony on March 12, 1936.—The Log, San Francisco.

GREAT BRITAIN

New Destroyers

Naval and Military Record, March 19.—The new destroyer flotilla to be built under the Supplementary Navy Estimate will consist of 7 vessels each of 1,850 tons. The reduction from the usual flotilla strength of one leader and two divisions each of 4 destroyers has been made so as to equalize cost. It will be seen that the Admiralty have now gone as far in displacement as they are able to do under Part III of the London naval treaty, which remains in operation until the last day of the present year. Beyond 1,850 tons the cruiser category is entered. In making the announcement the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty gave no further details beyond the bare announcement of tonnage, and even this, he implied, was an unusual concession of the House. What he did admit was that the circumstances were unusual and that the Admiralty “could not view without concern” the construction of such big destroyers by all the other principal naval powers, “ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 tons.” From our reference to the latest French vessels it is plain that he put the upper limit far too low.

We may assume with every confidence that our designers will get the fullest possible value out of the additional 500 tons of displacement. The London treaty restricts destroyer armament to guns of 5.1-in. caliber. This is smaller than the latest French and Italian vessels carry, but we anticipate that it will be regarded as adequate in the Navy.

Supplementary Estimates

Star, Washington, April 30.—The British Navy requires an additional appropriation from the Parliament of £10,300,000 (about $51,500,000), the Admiralty announced today in a supplementary estimate.

Viscount Monsell, First Lord of the Admiralty, said in an accompanying statement that the estimate provided for beginning a new naval construction program during this year.

Provision also was made for equipment of reserves, for defense measures required by the Navy in pursuance of the government policy of increased national defenses and for continuance of expenditures made necessary by the Italo-Ethiopian situation.

The new construction program proposed for 1936 included building of 2 capital ships and 5 cruisers—2 of the Southampton class and 3 of a smaller type of about 5,000 tons—9 destroyers, 1 aircraft carrier, 4 submarines, and a number of smaller vessels.

Four cruisers of the Hawkins class, which were to have been scrapped under the London naval treaty, will be retained.

The estimate for work on the naval base at Singapore, British island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, was increased from £8,693,000 (about $43,465,000) to £10,661,000 (about $53,305,000).

The supplementary estimate provided £3,000- 000 (about $15,000,000) for the start of the new construction program, so that ships may be laid down earlier in the financial year, for re-equipment of the air branch of the fleet with new type aircraft and to accelerate supply of anti-aircraft guns to existing ships.—London, April 30.

More Sabotage

Naval and Military Record, March 26.— The Naval and Military Record was informed at the Admiralty that there has been a suspected case of willful damage in the new destroyer Griffin. The damage, if it took place—and it is not yet known that it did take place—occurred at the Vickers Yard at Barrow-in-Furness.

The Griffin, which belongs to the 20th Destroyer Flotilla, arrived at Devonport on March 7, after her trials, and left the port on the 9th for Portland.

The Press Association, states a message, is informed that the suspected case of willful damage in a destroyer, which was the subject of recent questions in the House of Commons, involved H.M.S. Griffin. The suspected damage occurred while the destroyer was at Barrow.

When leaving Barrow in January for her trials on the Clyde, the vessel was in collision with a tug, and had to put back for repairs for slight damage.

The Griffin belongs to the Greyhound class of 8 vessels, and, like the name-ship, has been built by Messrs. Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., at Barrow-in-Furness, the total estimated cost of the pair being £601,971 (including £17,700 for guns). The vessels, which were laid down in September, 1934, have a displacement of 1,335 tons; and their dimensions are: Length, 312 feet; breadth, 33 feet; draught, 8 feet 5 inches. With a horsepower of 34,000, they have a speed of 35| knots. Each vessel has four 4.7-in. guns.

At the beginning of this month it was learned that attempts had been made willfully to damage the 32,000-ton battlecruiser Repulse and the submarine H 28. These two recent attempts were revealed after Lord Stanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, stated in the House of Commons that there had been 6 cases of damage or attempted damage to ships undergoing refit.

Previously-reported cases in which sabotage was suspected related to the battleship Royal Oak and submarine Oberon at Devonport and the cruiser Cumberland and destroyer Velox at Chatham.

Various Notes

The Clyde shipbuilding industry has further cause for gratitude in the intimation (still to be confirmed by the Admiralty) that three local firms are to build Tribal class destroyers computed to value more than £2,000,000. The contracts are allocated as follows:

Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. (Greenock)—hulls and machinery of 2 vessels.

Wm. Denny and Bros. (Dumbarton)—hull and machinery for 1 vessel.

Alexander Stephen and Sons (Linthouse)— hull and machinery for 1 vessel.

The remaining vessels in the flotilla will probably be given to English firms, probably two with Vickers-Armstrongs and two with Hawthorn Leslie and Co.

The new flotilla, which is being constructed under the Supplementary Naval Estimates, is additional to the flotilla of 7 vessels now under construction for the 1935 naval building program.

With a displacement of something like 1,850 tons, the new Tribal class destroyers are very much larger and more powerful than the ordinary destroyers, whose displacement is usually in the region of 1,400 tons.

Admiralty work now in hand on the Clyde amounts to 26 ships and their machinery, plus the machinery for 2 cruisers.—Sunday Times, London.

A new aspect, I learn, is likely to enter into the question of the placing of the order for another giant liner for Cunard-White Star transatlantic service, although it is one with which the company are not associated.

Four firms—Messrs. John Brown and Co., Clydebank, who built the Queen Mary; Vickers Armstrong and Co., Walker-on-Tyne; Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on- Tyne; and Cammell Laird and Co., Birkenhead— are to submit tenders and designs for the liner.

Competition is very keen for the order, but those firms who are not successful will most probably receive substantial Admiralty work.— Sunday Times, London.

Britain today has an almost fool-proof and efficient anti-submarine device operating on the system of a reflector ray.

This statement was made in the House in a debate on the navy estimates by Mr. De Chair (Con., Norfolk S.W.), who declared its possession meant that practically no submarine could come within torpedo-firing range of a ship without instant destruction—Naval and Military Record, March 19.

Coneronted by a new barrage of anti-British editorial attacks in Rome and increasing uncertainties in Geneva, the British Admiralty took additional precautions tonight in the Mediterranean.

The Admiralty disclosed 15 especially designed ships classified as mine-sweeping trawlers, a new secret type for anti-submarine work, have reached Gibraltar from England in the last week.

This brought the total of the grand fleet in the Mediterranean to its peak since Italo-Ethiopian troubles became acute last August.— Tribune, Chicago. London, April 16.—(AP).

In view of our interest in the light machine gun as an integral weapon of smaller units, it is interesting to note the characteristics of the light machine gun recently adopted by the British Army to replace the Lewis gun of World War vintage. The new machine gun, of Czechoslovakian manufacture, is gas-operated, air-cooled, and magazine-fed, and operates in a manner similar to our Browning automatic rifle. The magazines hold 30 cartridges, caliber .303; the cyclic rate of fire is about 500 rounds per minute. The gun is designed to be fired from the shoulder, from a bipod, and from a light tripod which is provided with mechanical traversing and elevating devices. It is 45 in. long and weighs, with bipod, 21 lb. Another feature is the ease and rapidity with which the barrel can be replaced; this adds materially to its capacity for sustained fire.—Infantry Journal.

H.M.S. Coventry and Curlew, cruisers of the Ceres class of 4,290 tons, built during the war, were recently reconstructed and rearmed, the work being carried out in the dockyards at Portsmouth and Chatham, respectively. Originally each ship mounted five 6-in. and two 3-in. (antiaircraft) guns. These have now been replaced by ten 4-in. anti-aircraft guns and a number of multiple pom-poms. Elaborate fire control arrangements have also been installed. Both ships are attached to the Mediterranean Fleet, the Curlew being commanded by Captain A. W. S. Agar, V.C., D.S.O., and the Coventry by Captain J. W. Rivett-Carnac, D.S.C.—Army, Navy and Air Force Gazette.

The Secretary of State for the colonies, replying to a question by Mr. Pritt in the House of Commons on March 9, said that he was not aware of any proposal for the establishment of an air base in Cyprus, though the possibility of the establishment of a flying training school in the Island had been under examination.

The airdrome at Nicosia is available for use at any time and the government has recently purchased a site for an aerodrome at Larnaca. No decision has yet been reached as to the purchase of further sites for aerodromes in Cyprus.— The Aeroplane.

Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.— The decline that has been evident for some years in the number and quality of young men taking up the profession of naval construction, the First Lord of the Admiralty states, has been causing anxiety to the Admiralty, and the question of the steps necessary to maintain the high standard desirable for entry to the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors is receiving attention.—The Shipbuilder and Marine Engineer.

H.M.A.S. Yana commissioned at Sydney on Jan. 21, 1936. The Yana is a sloop built for the Australian Navy at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, where she was launched on March 28 last. A second sloop, the Swan, is also building there. Both are similar in design to the Grimsby class in the Royal Navy, but are heavier and with a different armament. The estimated displacement is 1,060 tons, compared with the 990 tons of the Grimsby, and the armament includes three 4-in. guns instead of two 4.7-in. and one 3-in. There are also 13 smaller guns in the Yana and 12 in the Swan.—Army, Navy and Air Force Gazette.

FRANCE

Naval Building

Naval and Military Record, April 9 (by J. B. Gautreau).—The gradual re-enforcement of the Brest Squadron, the strenuous, the realistic training in favor in the battle force under Admiral Darlan and the excellent progressive designs that are the mark of the new Gallic men-of-war have placed France in a position far more favorable than in 1914, at least for the immediate future. The three reconditioned 24,000- tons Provence, Bretagne, and Lorraine, despite their advanced age and inferior speed, are satisfactory fighting machines, being splendid hitters. The three Deutsch- lands, although faster and more up to date are no match for them in an artillery duel, but, escorted by their fine cruisers, they would be masters of the mid-Atlantic and would have the way open before them for all sorts of offensive operations. In short, the relative situation is satisfactory for neither side. Much will depend on the entry in service of the battleships in hand in France and in Germany.

The fight is between French and German yards. The Dunkerque (under Captain Fénard) is fast approaching completion at Brest. She will commission for trials in June next, and will be available for service in September, with a special crew previously trained on shore in the handling of turrets and appliances similar to those fitted in the Dunkerque. Every measure is taken to save time, the experience with the 6,000-ton Berlin having shown the need of such a policy. The 26,500-ton Dunkerque will thus, by the end of the year, be fully ready for efficient duties with the Deuxième Escadre. Her weight will turn the scales in favor of France. The Strasbourg, her sister-ship on the stocks at St. Nazaire-Penhoët, is officially to be launched on October 29 next; and benefiting from past experience, she ought to be ready by December, 1937.

The misfortune is that the industrial capabilities of Germany are much greater than those of France. The shipbuilding plant is superior, and so is the technical research; there is no financial shortage, or pacifist propaganda, or strikes to interfere with the progress of the work in hand.

Various Notes

The decision of the French Admiralty to construct destroyers of 1,000 tons is due to two considerations. On the one hand, the escorts of the Pomone class (two of which completed their trials in the Atlantic during the winter) have proved themselves poor sea vessels, notwithstanding their high speed and anti-submarine efficiency. On the other hand they cannot compete with similar foreign types in service or still under construction.

Most of the ten German escort ships, approved in 1934, have been delivered. They are well armed and adaptable for the Atlantic, thereby offering a larger field of action than the French defensive type escort. The Italian type Astore of 640 tons built as an escort and for anti-submarine work is also better armed than Pomone type.

The new French escorts of 1,000 tons are, therefore, a half-way measure between those of 600 tons and the 1,762-ton destroyers. They serve equally as convoy escorts and with the fleet. They will be armed either with two 5.1-in. guns or with three 4-in. guns. Their torpedo tubes will be of the largest size. These vessels will be delivered the latter part of 1937.—Revista General de Marina.

Orders for the current year will include: 3 destroyers of Le Hardi type of 1,762 tons; 3 destroyers of a new type, whose displacement will not exceed 1,000 tons; 1 submarine of 800 tons.

The construction of the destroyers had been stopped in 1927 with the order of the Fondeur. This type has now been resumed with the order for Le Hardi (Loire shipyards—1932 series). The other two units similar to Le Hardi, of the 1935 series, have been ordered at the Gironde and Mediterranean yards, respectively. This program is held absolutely indispensable since the units planned are the first of a series of the type in which there is a defect in the French Navy. This type has been a subject of study during the last five years. Le Hardi carries many innovations and some extremely interesting progresses, particularly in the matter of combustion. It is considered that the Le Hardi will be much in advance of similar foreign types. The only submarine, the Aurore, to be built in the 1936 series will be a completely new type.—Rivista Marittima.

On February 1, two dispatch boats of 640 tons (Washington treaty) were ordered for coast defense. The 1935 quota includes 2 more similar units, which will be constructed at Lorient.

Of the first two dispatch boats, which will have the names of Chamois and Elan, one will serve as a mine sweeper and the other will relieve the Pilot School boat Ancre, which dates from 1917 and is no longer suitable for active service. The last two dispatch boats will be named the Chevreuil, and Gazelle.—Rivista Marittima.

Trials of new units: The submarine Casabianca is undergoing trials. She was built at the Loire shipyards of St. Nazaire, and was armed at Brest. A part of the 1930 program, her construction was notably delayed; in fact two other units of the 1930 series, the Ouessant and the Sidi-Ferruch are still on the ways at Cherbourg. The cruiser Jean de Vienne, built at Lorient, began her trials on April 1, 1936.—Rivista Marittima.

The cruiser Georges Leygues, was to be launched on February 23, at St. Nazaire, but because of the Penhoët strikes, the launching was delayed until March 25, 1936.—Rivista Marittima.

The battleship Dunkerque is rapidly nearing completion. The Rateau turbines and the boilers are nearly finished. The turrets are being prepared for installation on board. The ship will probably be finished by October 1,1936. The battleship France is being called an enlarged copy of the Dunkerque. She is being given heavier armor (15,000 tons) and 15-in. guns instead of the 13-in. guns of the Dunkerque.—Marine-Rundschau.

The new super-destroyers of 2,610 tons of the Audacieux class which have completed their trials, will form two squadrons, one in the Atlantic and the other in the Mediterranean. The 10th Light Squadron under the command of Admiral Darlan at Brest will include the Terrible with a speed of 45 knots and the Fanlasque of 42.9 knots equipped with Rateau turbines. The 11th Light Squadron under Admiral Mouget at Toulon will include the Indomitable, the Malin, and the Triomphant which are equipped with Parson turbines and have a speed of 43 knots. These ships are superior to the famous Cassard, whose speed was considered quite exceptional.—The Navy, London.

Fears of a “Nazi coup,” harbored by some citizens when they learned that a Toulon factory was making flags bearing the Hitler hooked cross, were dispelled when it was disclosed that the emblems were being manufactured for the French Navy, which needed a stock for the performance of maritime courtesies.—Herald Tribune, N.Y. Toulon, France, April 25(AP).

GERMANY

Various Notes

The new German gunnery school ship Brummer has been commissioned. It is similar to the Bremse, completed two years ago. Each of these ships cost about 10 million marks. They are driven by Diesel engines and can makes 27 knots. Their armament consists of four 4.1-in. guns.— Le Yacht.

From press information the Bloem and Voss shipyards of Bremen and the Vulkan shipyards of Hamburg have contracted for the construction of several cargo submarines whose displacement will be: surface 3,000 tons; submerged 4,500 tons. They will be approximately 360 feet in length. They will be capable of carrying a cargo of 1,000 tons. Their motors of 7,500 hp. will assure them a surface speed of 20 knots while the submerged speed will be 12 knots. These submarines will not carry any armament.—Le Yacht.

French officials charged that Germany is secretly constructing a naval base in a Portuguese island off the west coast of Africa.

They declared a German company is outfitting one of the Bissagos Islands off Portuguese Guinea as a base for submarines and hydroplanes. They said the concern—which they charged was a “blind” for the German government—had contracted to buy the island from Portugal.

These French officials asserted the Navy Ministry believes that the alleged naval-base construction is part of a German plan to strike quickly at French transport of troops and raw materials from French colonies if a war should break out between Germany and France.

The company controlling the island, French officials declared, is disguised as the “Compania Agricol y Fabrica Da Guine” and is headed by the same group which operated German railroads in the former German colony of Cameroon, now held by Great Britain and France.

The officials asserted that the company rented the island ostensibly for agricultural purposes for several years “without much control from the Portuguese government.”

Berlin, April 19 (AP).—Officials of the Cameroon Railway Company stated they had a plantation on one of the thirty Bissagos Islands. They said they hoped to acquire the entire island at some time, but that no steps had yet been taken. —Herald Tribune, N.Y.

The German Air Ministry said today permission for the Graf Zeppelin, making another flight from Friedrichshafen to South America, to fly over France was refused by the French government.

The Graf, commanded by Hans Von Schiller, left Friedrichshafen at 7:10 p.m. yesterday, bearing 16 passengers, mails, and freight on the voyage over the South Atlantic.

The Air Ministry said the Graf’s route lay by way of the Netherlands, making the trip 10 hours longer, since a French permit to fly over that territory was denied.

The Graf was loaded with sufficient fuel to make unnecessary an intermediate landing at Seville, Spain.

The new Zeppelin Hindenburg, companion ship to the Graf, also flew by way of the Netherlands on its recent maiden voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but received French permission to return over the Rhone Valley after encountering engine trouble and headwinds.

The French government said permission for the Hindenburg to fly over France on its outward voyage was not given because the request for authorization was received too late. French officials said this question had no connection with the political situation.—Star, Washington. Berlin, April 14.

According to the agreement Germany is entitled to a total of 47,250 tons of aircraft-carrier shipping. This total may be increased after 1936. Among the types of aircraft are to be torpedo-carrying seaplanes and smoke-emitting airplanes, while a number of ships are to be provided with effective catapulting equipment.

It is again stated that in case of blockade Germany intends to use dirigibles, airplanes and above all submarines to obtain supplies. As regards the latter, ships of 4,000 tons will be built with a radius of 25,000 knots and a capacity of 500 tons. It is believed that the problem will be solved by these “submarines of commerce.”— The Navy, London.

The Tempelhof, which is already one of the best organized airdromes in Europe, is to be improved and enlarged, and will in 1939 become a “world airport.” Herr Hitler, who is probably the first Chief of State to travel habitually by air, has approved the plans, which were explained to representatives of the Berlin press this afternoon. They include an underground hall, which will be used by the postal vans serving the airdrome. _t An enlarged terrain will enable landings to be made at greater speed.—Times, London. Berlin, March 25.

Building of two more Zeppelins, sister-ships of the huge Hindenburg that will leave Friedrichshafen May 6 on its first commercial voyage to the United States, was announced today.

The announcement revealed the LZ-130 is already being laid down at Friedrichshafen, and some of the big structural rings are completed. Plans for the LZ-131 “are now on the drawing board,” Captain Ernest Lehmann, executive director of the Zeppelin Co., declared.

Dr. Hugo Eckener, veteran commander of the Graf Zeppelin, said some of the LZ-131's passenger cabins may have outside windows, similar to those on the Graf. The Hindenburg has only inside cabins.

Meanwhile, demands for reservations on the Hindenburg’s first flight have been so large that 20 applicants for cabins have been told they will have to wait for the second flight to New York and Lakehurst, N. J., about the middle of May.— Herald, Washington. Berlin, April 24 (U.S.).

ITALY

General Valle Speaks

Times, London, March 25.—Speaking in the Chamber this afternoon during the debate on the air estimates, General Valle, Under-Secretary of State for the Air, reviewed at length the developments in the Italian Air Force during the past 12 months.

He declared “with legitimate pride” that no part of the Mediterranean sky could now escape Italian control, and announced that at the end of May bombing machines would be in service which could carry a ton and a half of bombs to any part of the Mediterranean. The youth of the country would be trained to become “air-minded,” and to this end Signor Mussolini had ordered that a law should be drawn up instituting—for the first time, he claimed, in any country—a compulsory levy for service in the Air Force. In a reference to the preparation of services and supplies, General Valle asserted that the Air Force had now sufficient stocks of petrol “for any contingency whatsoever,” and that from March 1 Italy had suspended imports of this fuel.

The reconstitution and development of the Air Force, the scheme for which was announced a year ago, was today in full swing and being accelerated, and Italy, in face of the feverish air armament which was proceeding on all sides, had not allowed herself to be taken by surprise. All the pursuit airplanes in use were new, and the very latest types would soon be under test. The characteristics of these could be described only as surprising. The fighting machines, destined partly to replace the pursuit airplanes, carried 6 machine guns and could reach “exceptional” speeds. The last 12 months had seen the number of the squadrons in the process of creation doubled, two new brigades had been formed, and for the first time the grand unit of an air division had been created.

Referring to the “mobilization” of the aircraft industry to meet the needs of their expansionist program, General Valle praised the efforts of the constructors, who had “sacrificed all to our needs in East Africa and at home, at a time when the policy of sanctions compelled us to depend upon our own resources.” Imports of airplane material had therefore been reduced from 23 per cent to 8 per cent.

General Valle said that the war had enabled the Air Force to give an exact demonstration of its possibilities. Twenty- five airdromes had been built in Eritrea and 54 in Somaliland. Many of these buildings and grounds, he added, “will remain even after a definite victory has been reached, because only by means of the Air Force will it be possible to keep under firm control such a vast region.”—Rome, March 24.

Various Notes

Italy is increasing her naval aviation forces. The number of squadrons for intelligence and bombing attached to the Navy has been increased from 24 to 30 with 270 machines. The battleships and the latest cruisers have been equipped each with 4 machines.

Admiral Romeo Bernotti assumed this year the command of the second naval squadron and hoisted his flag on the cruiser Duca d’Aosta. In consequence of the death of Admiral Scapin, Admiral De Feo has been appointed Commander in Chief of the Maritime Department of the Alto Tirreno. Admiral De Feo took part in the campaign in Africa and Lybia. He commanded a squadron of submarines in the last war. He is well known as a technical expert in naval matters. —The Navy, London.

A new form of torpedo attack from the air has been tried out by the Italian Navy and Air Force. An airplane carrying a torpedo flies over a target at a height of about 10,000 ft. with a parachute attached to the torpedo. The vertical rudder of the torpedo is jammed hard over so that on entering the water it will travel on a circular course. The object is for the torpedo to drop among ships crowded in a harbor or anchorage. An automatic device cuts the parachute loose when it strikes the water and simultaneously starts the engines of the torpedo, which goes round in circles at 50 knots.

The results of the experiments are said to be disappointing, and a satisfactory method of countering this form of attack has been evolved. —The Aeroplane.

Rome newspapers today published descriptions of Guglielmo Marconi’s latest invention—a radio transmitter for hydro-airplanes.

The descriptions said the transmitter would enable the planes to communicate over a great distance by short waves. The apparatus normally functions on medium waves which do not interfere with a radio compass.—Herald Tribune, N.Y. Rome, April 11 (A>).

The Italian submarines have been redivided into six flotillas (formerly three). Whether this measure has been taken only for the duration of the present tension in the Mediterranean or whether it is intended to be permanent is not known.—Marine-Rundschau.

The Italian Navy has contracted for the transformation of the armored cruiser San Marco of 9,500 tons, into a target ship. The San Marco entered the service in 1910. The guns have been removed and the superstructure cut down. The ship will be radio controlled.—Le Yacht.

At Ancona, the torpedo-boat Climene has been safely launched. On November 15 the shipyards at Fiume launched the destroyer Sirio, constructed for the Italian Navy. The Sirio, like the Perseo, launched a few days before, belongs to the new series of torpedo boats of 615 tons displacement which the Italian Navy decided to build two years ago.—L’ltalia Marinara.

To the naval appropriations has been assigned extra funds totaling 416 million lire. These funds wall be divided as follows:

286      million  for        the       fiscal    year     1935-36

103      million  for        the       fiscal    year     1936-37

28        million for        the       fiscal    year     1937-38

—L’ltalia Marinara.

JAPAN

Naval Policy

Japan Advertiser, March 21.—As it would be unwise to depend solely on the Continent of Asia for national expansion, Japan should look to the south, advancing there peacefully, never by force of arms, the naval authorities have reportedly advised the Cabinet in a lengthy presentation of their views on policy reforms touching practically every aspect of administration. They recognize a firm foothold in the north as essential but would fix a limit for advance on the Continent

There is need, they feel, for firm establishment of a national policy governing relations with foreign countries, the Nichi Nichi reports, and on the basis of such a policy would have the prestige of the Empire enhanced through positive and independent diplomacy.

Special reference is made in their advice to the United States and Great Britain. To check American ambitions in the Far East, it is necessary to make that country recognize Japan as the stabilizing force in this part of the world and co-operate with it in amity. Japan and Britain should mutually respect their rights and interests in the Far East and co-operate in order that their friendly relations may continue.

The views of the Navy on domestic reforms are outlined by the paper in the following manner:

Defense adequacy.—The objective should be security of defense in the West Pacific. As armaments are relative, Japan must take into consideration the arms programs of the United States and other powers. Though their plans cannot be predicted accurately, the United States has been making steady progress with the Vinson program and is expected to start the replacement of battleships in 1937. Thus Japan will have to start next year a new replenishment program and the replacement of battleships. Under the circumstances, naval budgets are certain to increase to some extent, but it is at present expected that they will not be greatly different than they would have been had the Washington and London treaties continued in force.

Navy Opposes Air Merger

Japan Advertiser, March 24.—Proposals made recently by the Army for the organization of a new Ministry of Transport, distinct from the present Railway and Communications, Ministries, which will control all of Japan’s commercial transportation facilities, is reported by the Chugai Shogyo to be steadily growing in popular favor. At the same time the proposal made simultaneously that the Army and Navy Air Forces be put under a separate ministry of air is meeting with opposition from the Navy.

The suggested merger of the nation’s transport agencies is repeatedly being pushed by numerous private organizations as well as by the Army. It is expected, however, that lapse of some time will be necessary before the plans can be worked out. To pave the way for amalgamation, a central council of land, sea, and air traffic associations is now suggested.

Besides the voluntary moves on the part of the private industrialists, many interests are said to believe that the government should take steps to encourage the mergers. Chief among the organizations expected to be affected by the movement are the Japan Aeronautical Society, the Aviation Institute, the Traffic Association, the Railway Association, the Marine Institute, and the Marine Association.

The disjointed activities of these kindred organizations are regretted, the Chugai says, and consequently the unification and control movement is being regarded with interest by them all.

As was envisaged when the project was first suggested, the Naval Ministry does not favor the merging of the Army and Navy Air Forces into a new air ministry, the Jiji reports. Three reasons are given for the naval opposition to the idea:

(1) Separation of the air arms of the Army and Navy through the formation of an air ministry has proved of doubtful value in other countries.

(2) The Army Air Corps differs distinctly from the naval air arm in education and technique. Merger would be difficult.

(3) Japan’s geographic features are not like those of Europe. From the tactical point of view, Japan’s air strategy and operations are different, too. The functions of the Army and Navy in national defense are not capable of merger. Each must be independent of the other.

Whether an independent air ministry is formed or not, War Minister Hisaichi Terauchi is said to desire particularly the expansion of private aviation enterprises in accordance with the plan for improvement of national defense. The sum of 17,000,000 yen asked by the Army for this year’s budget was cut to 2,050,000 yen which is considered entirely inadequate properly to expand the Army’s Air Force.

Consequently General Terauchi is said by the Yomiuri to be urging the Ministry of Communications to formulate anew a plan with the following four objects:

(1) Increased manufacture of private planes.

(2) Education, training, and maintenance of flyers.

(3) Increased supplies of materials on hand for building airplanes.

(4) Encouragement of experiments in aerodynamics.

To bring about the realization of this program, the War Office and the Ministry of Communications will work in unison, the report says.

Navy Looks South

Japan Advertiser, March 25.—Extension of the sphere of offensive and defensive operations of the Japanese Navy to include the entire stretch of mandated South Sea Islands, from the equator on the south to the 180th meridian on the east, is an objective of the Navy scheduled to be discussed by the committee on policy of the New Naval Investigation Council, the Jiji hears.

The traditional policy of the Japanese Navy, as explained by Navy Minister Mineo Osumi in the 67th Diet session, has been to secure hegemony of the sea and of the air on the western Pacific. However, now that Japan is to be “released from the naval ratio bondage” starting in 1937, this policy has been found too passive, says the newspaper, and a new one more suited to the needs of an “expanding Japan” is sought.

The new naval policy, “designed to cope with the important domestic and international situation confronting Japan,” will be based upon the traditional objective of home defense combined with an advance southward, it was asserted.

Entrusted with the assignment of formulating the new policy more definitely, the new committee on policy is thus regarded as having the most important role of the three created Monday at the initial meeting of the Investigation Council.

As another step in the now increasingly talked-about southward advance of the Navy, the appointment of a naval man to replace the civilian governor of Formosa is sought, says the Nichi Nichi.

As Formosa will be the spearhead of a Japanese advance southward, the Navy had suggested to Premier Keisuke Okada the selection of a naval man for the post at a suitable opportunity, and Admiral Okada was understood to have given his partial consent.

The question comes to the front again with the impending trip to Tokyo of the present Governor, Mr. Kenzo Nakagawa, accompanied by talk of his resignation. If the resignation materializes, it is believed the opportunity will be taken to give the post to a naval man.

Those mentioned as likely candidates include Admiral Saizo Kobayashi, member of the Supreme War Council, and Admiral Isamu Takeshita, and Admiral Kanji Kato, former member of the Council.

Various Notes

As Premier Hirota is understood to have committed himself to the strengthening of national

defense in his negotiations with General Count Hisakata Terauchi and Admiral Osami Nagano, increased appropriations for the Army and the Navy are believed likely to be asked of the coming special session of the Diet.

Though without confirmation from other quarters, a Nippon Dempo report says that Mr. Hirota has accepted an army program that will cost 2,000,000,000 yen over the next 6 years. As the present annual budget of the Army is about 500,000,000 yen, this program will swell the annual figure to more than 800,000,000 yen. The Army wants to carry out the program from the next fiscal year, which starts April. This will require fundamental recasting of the supplementary estimates to be submitted to the Diet.— Japan Advertiser.

Six new corps wall be added to the navy’s aviation defense organization during the present year, says the Jiji.

New corps will be established at Kanoya, Kimotsuki-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture; Kisarazu, Kimitsu-gun, Chiba Prefecture; at Yokohama and at Chinkai, Korea. The Kanoya corps will be completed in April, the Kisarazu and Yokohama ones in June, and the Chinkai unit in October. Location of the other two was not mentioned.

With completion of these units, the capital will be defended by the naval air forces of Yokosuka, Kasumigaura, Tateyama, Yokohama, and Kisarazu, while continental defenses will be taken care of by the Chinkai, Ominato, and Maizuru corps.

Completion of the 6 new units will bring to 35 the number of naval air corps, in addition to those on board the combined fleet and the 3rd fleet.— Japan Advertiser.

According to the Daily Telegraph of March 12, the strength of the Japanese Naval Air Service is 800 first-line airplanes. The 1935 edition of the League of Nations Armament Year Book gives the number of airplanes attached to the Coastal Flying Corps (exclusive of training and experimental types) as 472 and the number of airplanes carried by aircraft carriers and other warships as 329.-¹-The Aeroplane.

A board to examine naval affairs was set up by the Japanese Navy today, in accordance with the Cabinet’s policy of administrative reform.

Vice-Admiral Hasegawa, the Vice-Minister of Marine, presided over its first meeting, at which 20 senior officers from the Navy Office, representing the General Staff and the Aviation and Construction Headquarters, were present. He said the Navy would re-examine its machinery with a view to readjusting naval stations, bases, and administrative departments, reducing expenses, and promoting efficiency. Three committees were formed for these purposes.

The Asahi this morning states that the new board will investigate the government’s foreign and domestic policies and formulate the Navy’s opinion for the Cabinet’s information, but apparently general policies will be touched only when they affect naval affairs.—Times, London. Tokyo, March 23.

The navy will introduce in the May session of the Diet a supplementary budget demanding, according to the newspaper Asahi, 135,000,000 yen in addition to the 550,000,000 yen already sought in the general budget, making naval expenditure for 1936-37 total 685,000,000 yen, a sum never before equaled in peace time. (A yen is currently worth about 29 cents.)

The largest item, 54,000,000 yen, is for the repair and rearming of vessels. A sum of 22,000,000 yen is allotted for replenishment of arsenals, and 10,000,000 yen for replenishment of war materials. More than 18,000,000 yen is appropriated for aviation under various heads.—Tribune, Chicago. Tokyo, April 24.

A military welcome was accorded a delegation of Veterans of Foreign Wars from the United States upon their arrival in Tokyo yesterday to begin a three weeks’ visit in Japan under the leadership of Commander in Chief James Van Zandt.

The visitors were greeted at the station by thousands, including Army Reservists, members of the Women’s Defense Corps, and Boy Scouts. The Stars and Stripes were unfurled and a band played the “Star Spangled Banner” as the American veterans appeared. Last night the visitors saw a traditional Japanese play at the Kabuki Theater.

“Our welcome and entertainment were impressive,” Van Zandt said. “Yokohama thrilled us but we received more thrills in Tokyo.”

All vernacular newspapers featured the veterans’ arrival and official circles are making the most of the visit to foster American-Japanese friendship.—Tribune, Chicago. Tokyo, April 25.

On November 25, the torpedo boat Kasasagi (part of the 1934 program) was launched at Osaka. The characteristics of this ship which is similar to the Italian type Sirio, are as follows:

Displacement.................. 600   tons

Length............................. 263   ft. (approx)

Width................................ 26   ft. (approx)

Maximum draft................. 6.8   ft. (approx)

Speed (maximum)........... 28  knots

—L’ltalia Marinara.

The speed of construction in Japan is going on at at great rate but little information is being divulged. Practically no information has been given on the construction finally decided upon. Only the names of the following ships have been made known:

The 8,500-ton cruiser Shikuma; the 10,000-ton aircraft carrier Hiryu; the 9,000-ton aircraft tender Chioda; the 8,000-ton repair ship Arashi.

Nine destroyers of 1,378 tons each, have also been named.—L’ltalia Marinara.

The oeficial list of naval officer personnel on October 1, 1935, was as follows:

Line officers.................................. 4,035

Engineer officers.......................... 1,742

Medical officers............................... 523

Pharmacists...................................... 21

Supply officers................................ 407

Naval constructors............................ 75

Design engineer officers................... 52

Design gunnery officers.................. 163

Total............................................. 7,018

In 1934, 200 midshipmen entered the Naval School from a list of 5,713 candidates.—La Revue Maritime.

According to information from German sources, the Minister of the Interior is actually working out a plan for the construction of a large tunnel under the Strait of Tsushima. The point of origin of the tunnel will be Karatsu, on the island of Kiuschiu, and the terminal at Fusan in Korea.—La Revue Maritime.

At Owada-Machi, in the province of Saitama, on the island of Honshu, a new long distance radio station has been erected.—La Revue Maritime.

It was announced at Tokyo on February 12, that the new aircraft base at Fukuoka was near completion. This base, situated in northern Kiushiu, is equipped to handle landplanes as well as seaplanes and will play an important role in the air traffic between Japan, Korea, and Manchukuo, as well as with foreign countries. Fukuoka has been constructed to become an aircraft base of the first rank. Situated 10 miles from the city of Fukuoka, the new base has an area of 225 square miles. It is equipped in the most modern manner.—La Revue Maritime.

According to information from the German press, the great public subscription for the benefit of the Navy, at the beginning of the Manchurian crisis, collected about 4,700,000 yen. This permitted the acquisition of 83 airplanes and necessary equipment. In addition was the scouting plane which the 15,000 Japanese settled in Tsingtau had offered the government and which was solemnly turned over to the cruiser Kuma, July 27, 1935.—La Revue Maritime.

OTHER COUNTRIES

Argentina

Last August, the Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. received from the Argentine government the order for a school cruiser which will cost about 5 million pounds.

This ship is being built in the Barrow shipyards; it will be armed in part at Barrow and in part at the shops of the same company at Elswick-on-the-Tyne.

The following information has been extracted from the Boletin del Centro Naval of Buenos Ayres concerning this new cruiser: Displacement, 6,000 tons; length, 540 feet. It is provided with oil fired boilers and triple expansion engines. The estimated maximum speed will be 30 knots. It will be armed with nine 5.8-in. guns in triple turrets; four guns of 100 mm. and machine guns of 25 mm. for anti-aircraft use. It will have six torpedo tubes in groups of three. The vital parts of the ship will be protected. It will also be equipped with a catapult which is to be used by two amphibian planes of the Seagull type. The personnel will consist of 26 officers, 60 cadets, and 530 sailors and marines. The construction which was begun about July, 1935, will last two years.

This order has had some unexpected results. In effect, it was announced that a short time before, Italy had placed an order for great quantities of meat with Brazil. This news caused quite a stir in the Argentine for until that day they had considered Italy one of their best markets. Although officially no motive for the decision of Italy was given, the German paper, The Berliner Tageblatt, believes that Italy had offered the sale to the Argentine on condition that the school ship be constructed in the Italian yards.

The Argentine government did not believe it necessary to give satisfaction to the Italian demand; inasmuch as the cruiser order was to be placed with the English firm, the Italian order for meat was handed to Brazil.—La Revue Maritime.

Brazil

According to the Marine-Rundschau, the new navy yard built on the island of Cobras was finished the latter part of March, 1935. It permits the construction of ships of 500 tons. It will be able to handle 3 battleships, 3 cruisers, 15 destroyers, 15 submarines, and numerous small ships. Two new naval air stations have been installed at Porto Alegre in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and at Ladario in the state of Matto Grosso.—La Revue Maritime.

Chile

The Burmeister & Wain shipyards of Copenhagen will build three ships for Chile. In exchange Denmark will purchase Chilean niter for two years. The value of this transaction is estimated at 500,000 pounds.—Journal de la Marine Marchande.

Holland

Even the Dutch government has prepared a program to increase her naval forces. This program, of noteworthy importance, will include the construction of 12 destroyers and 18 submarines. Even naval aviation will be particularly re-enforced with the construction of 54 airplanes. In the meantime the work on the cruiser Netherland has been pushed ahead.—L’ltalia Marinara.

Poland

The existing naval estimates amount to 120 million francs and comprise 2 destroyers, 1 monitor, 4 mine sweepers, 3 submarines, and several units for river flotillas. The personnel consists of 803 officers and 3,848 other ranks. The two destroyers are being built in England. Their displacement is 1,976 tons and speed 37 knots. The monitor is being built at Havre. Her displacement is 2,227 tons, and her armament will consist of six 5-in. guns and 3 anti-aircraft guns, and a large number of mines. Her name will be Gryf. The four mine sweepers are being built in Gdynia and the three submarines in Holland. Plans are being made for a naval base at Gdynia.—The Navy, London.

Siam

The first two torpedo boats built for the Siamese Navy by the Adriatic yards at Trieste arrived at Bangkok March 20. Seven more similar ships are awaited. The Siamese government has ordered two 370-ton submarines from Japan. —Le Yacht.

Two destroyers constructed for the Siamese government have already been launched at the Fiume shipyards. The first of these units has already brilliantly completed her acceptance trials developing a speed of 32j knots, thereby exceeding her contract speed by l ½ knots. The result is noteworthy and merits attention because of the small dimensions of the destroyer.—L’ltalia Marinara.

In its March, 1936, issue Marine-Rundschau quotes several (unnamed) Dutch Indian dailies saying that the work on a canal through the Malay Peninsula in Siamese territory had “against all expectations” already been started. All the work is supervised by Japanese engineers, and completion of the work is to be expected in 1940. The Dutch papers believe that after the completion of the canal the British base at Singapore will lose its commanding position. The Siamese official in charge of the construction is said to be Dr. Luang Pradit Manudharm, member of the Siamese Council of State and Director of Public Works under the Ministry of the Interior. Japanese financiers and engineers are constantly seen at the Ministry of the Interior, and the Minister himself, Prince Sakol Voravarn, is said to have given to Dr. Manudharm unlimited authority to let contracts for the undertaking. On the East Coast and parallel to the railroads Bangkok-Ratburi, and Petschaburi- Penak, Siamese laborers are building a road for heavy trucks under Japanese supervision. The road leads to a village on Bandon Bay. In the bay are numerous giant Japanese dredges which are working in the Kra River every day. In the mountains near the island of Koh-Ra, Siamese Laborers and Japanese engineers are doing extensive blasting. The Dutch papers claim that the canal had been decided upon and necessary agreements made the latter part of May, 1934. At present there are several hundred Japanese engineers and 80,000 Siamese coolies at work on the project.

The canal would shorten the trip from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean by 600 to 700 nautical miles, and Singapore would lose a great deal of its commercial importance. Marine Rundschau adds: “The strategic and commercial importance of the Canal of Kra—if the reports prove essentially correct—seems to be worthy of a detailed consideration. In the meantime the close contact between Japan and Siam in this case as in other matters is a remarkable characteristic in the great play of powers in the Far Eastern situation.”

Spain

The soviet ship Jerek has been delivering arms, mostly submachine guns, to Algeciras and Seville, Spain, for the use of communists in an expected revolt to make Spain a Bolshevik country, according to a reliable source in Paris.

The Jerek was mysteriously anchored in Algeciras Harbor for several days. Yesterday morning it was gone. It was learned the ship on the same night of its sailing had landed 16 cases of firearms, including submachine guns of a model used by reds and seized by Madrid police during recent rioting. The shipment was intended for Reds in Granada, Almeria, Valencia, and Ceuta. The Jerek also called at Seville and was towed into port by a tug, pleading it had been damaged and needed repairs. During the night 32 cases of arms were landed.

The Red agitator, Francisco Galan, is suspected of plotting a revolt with the aid of Moscow funds and two labor federations, the Spanish Anarchist federation, and the Basque and Catalan separatists, intending to proclaim a union of independent soviet Spanish republics.—Tribune, Chicago. Paris, April 9.

The permanent committee of the Cortes has approved the building of the following warships: 2 destroyers of the Antequera type, 2 gun boats of 1,500 tons, 4 barges of 200 tons, 2 tankers of 400 tons with motors, 1 tug of 1,200 hp. and 2 of 750 hp.—The Navy, London.

Sweden

The Swedish Navy has recently received the first of a number of new A.A. guns built by Bofors. These guns have a caliber of 40 mm., are fully automatic with a capacity of 120 shots per minute and an effective range of 5,500 yards. Also a number of a smaller type have been ordered; caliber 25 mm. and a firing speed of 180 shots per minute.—Norsk Tidsskrift for Sjfovesen.

U.S.S.R.

The following table shows the distribution of naval units on the different bodies of water as of January 1, 1936. Most astonishing is the large number of submarines, a total of at least 96. In case of trouble these forces could be augmented by numerous second line ships and auxiliary ships as well as by those vessels at present in the hands of Ossoaviachim, a naval reserve organization with 13 million members. The submarines listed below are mostly new ships of different types built in Russia.

Baltic: Battleships 2, old cruiser 1, destroyers 8, S-torpedo boats 3, submarines 40, mine layers 2, mine sweepers 16, torpedo-speedboats 60.

Arctic Ocean: Destroyers 6, S-torpedo boats 5, submarines 6.

Caspian Sea: Torpedo boats 3, gunboats 4.

Black Sea: Battleships 1, cruisers 4, destroyers 5, S-torpedo boats 2, submarines (at least) 20, mine layers 1, mine sweepers 11, torpedo speedboats (at least) 20.

Far East: Submarines (at least) 30 (probably many more), mine layers 2, mine sweepers unknown, torpedo-speedboats (at least) 30; gunboats 6.

Amur River: 75 motor boats with artillery and 32 river gunboats.—Marine-Rundschau.

According to the annual report of the Commission for Northern Passage for 1935, 4 steamers made scheduled runs between Vladivostok and Murmansk. Altogether over 100 steamers traveled the Arctic Ocean transporting over 200,000 tons to and from numerous places on the northern coast of Siberia. For the first time in maritime history merchandise has been delivered via the Arctic Ocean at the estuaries of the following rivers: Pjassina, Indigirka, and Chatange. Especially noteworthy is the round trip of the steamer Rabotschi between Archangel and the mouth of the Kolima. In 1936 eight ships are to make scheduled runs, and the total load of cargo vessels on the Arctic Ocean is to be increased to 280,000 tons.—Marine-Rundschau.

Climbing to from 13,000 to 18,000 feet altitude' planes will fly over the Pamirs and passengers will be supplied with oxygen apparatus and specially warm clothing to protect them from the cold and rarefied air, when a proposed air line is inaugurated in Russia.

According to information given out at Moscow, the line will extend nearly 260 miles between Khorog and Murgab, and the journey, which now requires 2 days, will be made in 2 hours. Tajikistan air lines now cover more than 1,200 miles, not including the Stalinabad-Taskent line of nearly 400 miles.—Tribune, Chicago. Moscow, U.S.S.R.

MERCHANT MARINE

Shipbuilding Contracts

Nautical Gazette, April.—There are 119 vessels of 165,870 tons in course of construction in American shipyards, a figure more than twice that of the corresponding date last year, while the tonnage is five times that recorded a year ago, according to the March report of the American Bureau of Shipping. Oil tankers and barges lead the field with an oil tanker of 11,400 tons which the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. is building for the Atlantic Refining Co., the largest unit under construction. This company is likewise filling an order for two oil tankers of 9,650 tons each for the Pan-American Petroleum & Transport Co., and two for the Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., and also a 9,800-ton tanker for the Sun Oil Co.

No passenger ships are reported under construction, although three ferryboats are being built in the Staten Island yard of the United Dry Docks Co. for the City of New York—one 1,500-ton ferry built by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., a Diesel yacht of 260 tons by the Sparling Co., and a 600-ton ferryboat by the Maryland Dry Dock Co.

Other important contracts include two 7,070-ton tankers for the Gulf Refining Co. to be constructed at the Sparrows Point plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., two 7,225-ton tankers for the Pan- American Petroleum & Transport Co., and one of the same size to be built by the Federal Shipbuilding Co. for the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. Thirteen house barges of 490 tons each have been contracted for by the Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co. with the American Bridge Co. The Pittsburgh Coal Co. has placed an order with the Midland Barge Co. for ten coal barges of 365 tons each and with the Drayo Contract Co. of Pittsburgh for a similar group.

The reports show that in all 93 vessels of 152,510 tons are being built to American Bureau of Shipping classifications and 26 are being constructed independently.

A Word to the Ship Wise

Chicago Tribune, April 20.—While it is true that British steamship men are all agog over the successful trial runs of the new nautical extravaganza, the Queen Mary, most of them are aware that this new monster, like its predecessor, the Normandie, is economically unsound. It is general belief that this vessel will be the last of the luxury liners. It is the Great Eastern of the present era and will be supplanted by something entirely different. What a chance for the American steamship industry if it can develop the ingenuity and aggressiveness of the automobile manufacturers!

The Tribune has frequently outlined the requirements for an American ship. If an American line will construct an air conditioned, fireproof vessel to accommodate passengers and not palm gardens, that will primarily offer transportation instead of entertainment, and a fare that will look more like a steamship rate than the price of a new automobile, that will abolish the relic of European feudalism classifying its patrons, that will divorce the cost of meals from the price of passage and offer grillroom service, it will attract the necessary volume of travel to pay dividends.

The modern Diesel engine is as dependable as its gasoline prototype in the automobile. With modern steering apparatus the officer on the bridge can both direct the vessel and control the driving machinery more efficiently than through an elaborate signal system and a whole corps of engineers. Large crews were inherited from sailing vessels, but a ship with a modem power plant could be operated with a mere handful of “sailors,” each an expert in his line. With cafeteria or grillroom systems there will be no need for the army of stewards and waiters, which in the case of the luxury ships frequently outnumber the passengers.

Throw aside all traditions, retaining only maximum safety and a round-trip rate of $125 from Chicago to London and return will start a travel-loving public thinking rather than dreaming of a European tour.

Various Notes

An important development in Diesel-electric propulsion is represented in an order recently secured by Brown Boveri & Co., for a cargo ship of 6,800 b.hp., to be fitted with that company’s patented system of alternating current Diesel- electric drive. This system was described in the June, 1932, issue of Motorship and Diesel Boating and aroused widespread interest. The ship referred to here will be the first vessel to be equipped with the new system and will be watched closely

by shipping men, since she is apt to have an important influence on design of future electric propulsion machinery.—Motorship.

Messrs. Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd., of Lincoln, have announced the completion of a license agreement with the Hercules Motors Corp., of Canton, Ohio, U.S.A. Under this new arrangement, Messrs. Ruston & Hornsby, Ltd., will build in England the Hercules line of light-weight, high-speed, compression-ignition Diesel engines. The Hercules Motors Corp., are among the largest American firms of manufacturers of internal- combustion engines for industrial automotive applications. Their light high-speed Diesel engine, which is interchangeable with their gasoline type, occupies a pre-eminent position throughout the world. Messrs. Ruston & Hornsby, Ltd., rank as one of the largest firms of manufacturers of industrial internal-combustion engines in the British Empire, and it is hoped that at least one model will be in production in the near future. The British product will be known as the Ruston Hercules-type engine.—The Shipbuilder and Marine Engineer.

The bureau of Navigation & Steamboat Inspection in its report dated March 10 states that on February 1, 1936, American shipyards were building or under contract to build for private shipowners 142 vessels aggregating 119,121 gross tons compared with 132 vessels aggregating 118,- 715 gross tons on January 1, 1936.—Marine Progress, April.

The President of the United States has awarded to the master and officers of the British steamer Tsinan a gold watch and chain and binoculars, respectively, in recognition of their services in rescuing the crew of the U.S. gunboat Fulton. The Fulton caught fire at sea on March 14, 1934. The Tsinan saw her distress signals and launched a boat, while another boat from the Fulton was also manned by a crew from the Tsinan. These boats, with others from H.M.S. Wishart, succeeded in rescuing the whole crew of the Fulton.—Nautical Magazine.

The King has approved that Lieutenant Leonard Charles Hill, R.N.R., master of the research ship Discovery II, be appointed an officer of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire for his services in connection with the search in Antarctica for the American flying explorer, Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth, and his British companion, Mr. Herbert Hollock-Kenyon.—Nautical Magazine.

During a recent gale off Gibraltar, the 16,688- ton P. and 0. liner Ranpura, carrying Chinese art treasures valued at over £10,000,000, dragged her anchors and ran aground at Mayorga, on the northwest extremity of the Bay of Gibraltar. Admiralty tugs are attempting to refloat the vessel.

On April 4, the all-welded motor vessel Franquelin was launched at Wallsend. This vessel, which is the largest all-welded vessel yet constructed, is 259 ft. long by 43 ft. broad, and is a sister-ship to the Joseph Medill, which was lost with all hands on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic.—The Engineer.

A new safety device to be used in the launching of lifeboats, the invention of Lieutenant Henri Boudouit, chief officer of the French liner Paris, was demonstrated from the boat deck of that vessel while in New York recently.

The invention does away with the need of two men to loosen the fastenings securing the lines of the boat at the bow and stern. Lieutenant Boudouit’s device releases the boat at both ends the moment it reaches the water.

The officers of the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service who witnessed the demonstration, and others who attended, were much impressed with the simplicity and ease of operation of the device, which eliminates one of the greatest dangers faced in the launching of a lifeboat—that of the sailor in one end of the boat succeeding in unhooking the line from that end, and the sailor in the other end being unable to release his end at the same time, with the result that the occupants are spilled from the lifeboat, which hangs by one end from the unreleased line.—Marine Progress.

Supplementing previous information on the new 30,000-ton liner ordered from the Penhoet yard, St. Nazaire, by the Cie. de Navigation Sud-Atlantique to replace the ill-fated Atlanlique, it is stated that the vessel will be propelled by four sets of Parsons steam turbines with single-reduction gear, developing in all 60,000 hp. and designed for a trial speed of over 25 knots. The boilers, 10 in number, will embody the latest technical improvements. They will be of the water-tube type already supplied by the Penhoet yard for the Champlain and the Normandie, but will work under 31-kg. pressure, against 28- kg. only for those of the Normandie.—Nautical Gazette.

A further order for a motor tanker of 15,000 tons capacity has been placed with the Germania yard, Kiel, by the German-American Petroleum Co., Hamburg, on behalf of the Standard Shipping Co. New York. The vessel will be similar to the Naragansett, launched sometime ago, and will be about 490 ft. in length and 68 ft. in breadth. The tank steamer Socony, ordered through the intermediary of the German Vacuum Oil, Hamburg, by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., New York, has been launched at the yard of the Bremer Vulkan. The launching had to be postponed for some days due to the low water. The Socony is of the Isherwood type. She has a length of 344 ft. 5 in., a breadth of 52 ft., is 28 ft. 8 in. deep, and has a carrying capacity of 6,650 tons.— Nautical Gazette, March 28.

The possibility of modifying the propelling plant of the Italian liners Rex and Conte di Savoia to enable them to recapture the Blue Riband of the Atlantic is being discussed in view of the alterations which are being made in the liner Conte Rosso. She is having a new Loeffler boiler which it is hoped will increase her speed by 2 knots to 23 knots; she is to meet competition in the Far Eastern service. It is thought by some experts that with similar treatment the Rex and Conte di Savoia could compete in speed with the Normandie and Queen Mary.—Nautical Magazine.

The new Atlantic liner of the Holland-America Line will have a tonnage of 33,000 tons and will accommodate 550 passengers in the first class, 530 in the tourist class, and 230 in the third class. She will be very similar to the Manhattan or the Washington of the United States Lines which have been very successful. Her speed will be 21 knots. The building employees have agreed to a lower salary for this occasion.—The Navy, London.

Japanese trade with Australia is increasing, Nippon Yusen Kaisha has found it necessary to place three cargo ships in addition to the three 8,000-ton passenger ships upon their direct service to Western Australia. Last month they began their new service to Australia via the Pacific mandated islands.—Nautical Magazine.

One American port may overshadow New York at some time in the future. And that port is Chicago. But the rise of this port depends upon the development of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes Waterway route for oceangoing vessels. If this route is constructed, or if an all-American or an all-Canadian route is constructed, Chicago will become the greatest port on the North American Continent in spite of the fact that her open season is limited to 8 months of the year. One must not forget that Chicago has already many things in her favor: (1) she is the railway center of the world; (2) her banking importance is growing; (3) she is near the center of population of the United States; (4) she is near the great agricultural area of the United States; and (5) she is near the center of the most highly concentrated industrial area of the United States.—Nautical Gazette.

Announcement by the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand that it will discontinue its service from New Zealand and Australia to California next December because of inability to compete with subsidized competition is expected to result in Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia granting financial assistance to enable the company to build fast, modern tonnage and continue operation.

Similar aid also is expected to be granted to the Canadian-Australian Line, linking New Zealand, Australia, and British Columbia. This company, controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, also has complained of subsidized competition in the Pacific and has hinted that it, too, may be forced to suspend operations.

British shipbuilding interests are said to favor a subsidy for the British services in the Pacific, as it would result in the placing of several shipbuilding orders in their yards. The Union Steamship Co. is reported to have plans for two fast liners costing $5,000,000 each.—Herald Tribune, N.Y.

It will be interesting to see whether a lead given by Norway to reintroduce figureheads into shipping will be followed. The shipping firm, Fred Olsen of Oslo, which is building a new steamer called the Bayard, is having a statue of the famous French knight “without fear and without reproach” cast in bronze to appear as a figurehead on the modern streamlined bows of the vessel.—Nautical Magazine.

We regret to report the death, suddenly, at sea on March 7 of Captain Wilfred Harry Dow- man, of Wyke Lodge, Weymouth, the owner of the famous old clipper Cutty Sark, which is now a conspicuous and picturesque figure in Falmouth Harbor.

The Cutty Sark is painted and rigged exactly as she was when she made her maiden voyage to Shanghai in 1870. The last time she left Falmouth was in 1924, when she was towed to Fowey Regatta, Captain Woodgate, one of her old skippers, being in charge of the vessel.

Although 67 years old, the timbers of the clipper are as sound as a bell.

Her record voyage was one of 67 days from London to Sydney, and 75 days back to London, accomplished in 1885. In that year the vessel passed into the hands of Portuguese owners for £2,100. She was renamed the Ferreira and later converted into a barkentine.

She was sailing under that name and rig until 1922, when she was bought by Captain Dowman for £3,750. Captain Dowman immediately changed her name back to Cutty Sark, and set about restoring her to her former clipper rig. He had since been using her as a training ship for orphan boys.—Naval and Military Record.

AVIATION

Various Notes

The Navv Department announced today that arrangements have been completed with the Zeppelin Co. for the scheduled flights of the LZ- 129 (Hindenburg) to Lakehurst and return to Germany for the next 6 months. The first flight will arrive at Lakehurst on May 9; leave the following day upon return trip to Frankfort, and arrive at Frankfort 3 days later; remain there 3 days and return to Lakehurst on May 19. These scheduled flights are at approximately 10-day intervals, except that every other flight will be followed by a 3- or 4-week lay-over in Frankfort or an intervening trip to Brazil.

Naval airship terminal facilities will be made available to the LZ-129 in Lakehurst. The essence of the arrangements between the United States Navy and the Zeppelin Co. is that no part of the expense of caring for the Hindenburg at the American terminal shall be borne by the United States government. Whatever additional facilities are needed will be the financial responsibility of the Zeppelin Co.—Press Release, April 15.

On the afternoon of Friday, April 10, the new German Zeppelin, Hindenburg, arrived safely at Friedrichshafen. On her outward voyage to Rio de Janeiro, which she made by way of Holland and the Bay of Biscay, the airship covered about 6,875 miles in 100 flying hours. Flying smoothly across the South Atlantic Ocean, she maintained her scheduled time without effort, and the voyage, we understand, was quite successful. Leaving Friedrichshafen on March 31, she arrived at Rio de Janeiro on April 4. Returning again on April 6, she reached her home port on April 10. On the return voyage, near Gibraltar, a connecting-rod bolt fractured in the forward port engine, and some bearing trouble was experienced, which necessitated the ship returning by way of France and Switzerland, but only 6 hours more than the outward voyage were taken. It is reported that the engines worked remarkably well and the fuel consumption was satisfactory, while the other parts of the machinery installation and the hull structure stood the test of the maiden voyage excellently. The new airship has a capacity of 190,000 cu. m. and a length of 795 ft. with a maximum diameter of 134 ft., both these dimensions being about 33 ft. larger than those of the Graf Zeppelin. The propelling machinery of the new airship comprises four 16-cylinder V-pattern Daimler-Benz oil engines, each in a separate gondola, with a continuous rated output of 800 to 900 b.hp. per engine and a maximum output of 1,200 b.hp. each. The engines are geared on a two-to-one ratio to 4-bladed propellers.—The Engineer, April 17.

Two more world aviation records were recaptured for America this afternoon when the new twin-motored Sikorsky amphibian soared to a height of 27,950 feet, breaking former marks by almost 10,000 feet.

Temperatures as low as 40° below zero were encountered and when the huge ship landed after 1 hour 31 minutes in the air, parts of her wings were covered with a quarter of an inch of frost.

Captain Boris Sergievsky, chief test pilot, was at the controls and Igor I. Sikorsky, the designer, was aboard as official observer.—Herald, Washington. Bridgeport, Conn., April 14, (I.N.S.).

Word has just been received that the Federation Aeronautique Internationale at Paris has accepted as official 5 world aviation records made by American pilots. The approved records are: Howard Hughes, Los Angeles to New York speed record of 9 hours, 26 minutes; Coffery Smith Hansell, straight-line record for amphibian airplanes of 1662.778 km.; Miss Iona Coppedge, women’s light airplane altitude record, 4,649 meters; Miss Helen Richey, feminine speed record for light airplanes over a 100-km. course; and Benjamin King, two speed records for light seaplanes of the fourth category, one a 100-km. mark of 130.246 m.p.h. and a 500-km. mark of 113.457 m.p.h.—U.S. Air Services.

Paul W. Litchfield, president of the Goodyear Zeppelin Corp., announced today engineers for the concern had drawn plans for a dirigible greater in size than Germany’s giant of the air, the new Hindenburg.

The ship, he said, would be the largest in history, 850 ft. long and 145 ft. in diameter. This length would exceed that of the Hindenburg by 75 ft., he added.

Litchfield refused to say whether negotiations were under way for the sale of the proposed airship.

He said three eastern cities are under consideration as the American terminus for permanent airship service between this country and Europe. He named these cities as Philadelphia, Alexandria, Va., and Richmond, Va.

This proposed transatlantic service, he continued, would “round out” the service offered by the Hindenburg.—Tribune, Chicago. Akron, O., April 25.

A world’s record for tailspins was believed set at Bendix Municipal Airport this afternoon by E. C. Hedler in a biplane built especially for aeronautical acrobatics when he completed 24 ½ turns. The previous record was 22 spins.

Hedler’s feat was witnessed by a dozen witnesses whose affidavits will be sent to the National Aeronautical Association for recognition.— Star, Washington. South Bend, Ind., April 25 (AP).

Heading out of the skies over the Washington Airport yesterday, a new “fool-proof” airplane of strange design was delivered to the Bureau of Air Commerce and made its test flights to the satisfaction of Eugene Vidal, director of the bureau, and John H. Geisse, chief of the development section of the bureau.

The plane, known as the Hammond monoplane, was built for the bureau at Ypsilanti, Mich., to specifications which render it almost completely fool-proof and so simple to operate that virtually any person can fly it with safety, bureau attaches said.

With the engine in the rear, the bureau pilots pointed out, the “fool-proof” plane has good forward visibility, and its 3-wheel landing gear permits landings at various angles and speeds while increasing its ease of control.

It carries 2 persons and baggage, and cruises at 95 miles an hour with a range of 300 miles against a 10-mile head wind. It is equipped with a 4-cylinder, air-cooled Menasco aviation engine of 125 hp., which burns about 8 gallons of gasoline an hour at cruising speed. It is the first of 15 to be delivered.—Herald, Washington, April 15.

The United States is listed as first among the world air powers in commercial aviation but fifth in military air strength in The Aircraft Year Book for 1936, just issued by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America.

The British Empire is placed at the top of the list of world powers in combat airplane strength and, on the basis of present construction figures, is expected to continue in its position of leadership throughout the year. France, which last year was listed as the leading power, has dropped to second place in military aviation strength in the Year Book fist. Russia has come up to third place this year, with Italy fourth, the United States fifth, Japan sixth, and Germany seventh.

Howard Mingos, secretary of the chamber and editor of the volume, predicted that Russia will match France in military airplane numbers by next January, but that France still will maintain actual leadership because of the superior quality of its aircraft.

Commercial airplanes of the United States were characterized as “far superior” to those of other countries in speed and efficiency.—Star, Washington.

Officials of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., at their East Hartford plant today publicly exhibited for the first time what they termed the most powerful aircraft motor yet developed in the United States, and “the most powerful in the world, so far as we know, now ready for standard everyday service.” The engine, secretly developed for the Navy and still on the government’s “restricted list,” so that it cannot be exported, is a twin-row radial, air-cooled Wasp developing 1,000 hp. at sea level for normal take-off purposes and 1,150 hp. for temporary use in emergencies.

The occasion of the demonstration was an announcement by the manufacturer that the Navy finally has released the new “Twin Wasp” for domestic commercial use and that 26 engines of this type have just been purchased by United Air Lines for use in the fleet of ten 24-passenger Douglas “super-transports” it will put into service this summer. It was said the engine order exceeded $250,000 and that the total cost of the new planes would be approximately $1,000,000.— Herald, Tribune, N.Y. Hartford, Conn., April 16.

Delivery will begin this summer of a single- engined bomber by the Fairey Aviation Co. which has been demonstrated to be the most formidable in the world in its class. It is a low- wing monoplane, fitted with a super-charged Rolls-Royce “Merlin” 12-cylinder engine. Performance figures are naturally not yet disclosed, but it has been made known authoritatively that slightly over 10 minutes after leaving the Fairey aerodrome at Heath Row, near London, the aircraft could be over the south coast, 45 to 50 miles distant. The “Battle,” as the new bomber is called, has a retractile undercarriage and a Fairey metal airscrew with three fixed blades, but a controllable-pitch airscrew could be fitted if desired. It has a wing span of 54 ft., and is built of steels and light alloys, with fabric coverings for the rudder, ailerons, and elevators.—Army, Navy and Air Force Gazette.

Forty airplanes at a cost of £335,000, are to be bought as part of the new scheme for national defense which was examined by the Swiss Federal Council at Geneva on March 30.

The total defense scheme involves the expenditure of about £15,675,000 over a period of three or four years.—The Aeroplane.

The Australian government has lifted the ban which hitherto has prevented the direct importation of American and other foreign aircraft, and high-speed transport planes are expected to be running on inland airlines as a result.

Previously, the importation had been prohibited of any aircraft not accompanied by a certificate of airworthiness issued or validated by a country which is a party to the international convention regulating air navigation. Neither America nor Germany is a party to this convention.

The Australian Minister for Defense pointed out that several dominions now accepted American aircraft and more recently Britain had agreed to recognize its airworthiness subject to certain technical requirements.

It is held that American aircraft are more suitable for Australian conditions. The removal of the ban has been followed by greatly increased activity by airline companies, and may lead to competitive services from England right to Melbourne.—Tribune, Chicago. Melbourne.

The wreckage of a seaplane showing signs of fire has been found washed ashore on Amcok Island. Mr. Hugh Brewster, a Department of Commerce aeronautical inspector, said today that he believed it might be the remains of the plane in which two Japanese aviators attempted to cross the Pacific in 1932 and vanished over the Bering Sea.

Mr. Brewster has ordered the wreckage to be shipped to Seward for exhaustive examination. Though it is believed very likely to be the Hochi Shimbun plane, which disappeared after leaving Japan in September, 1932, of which a wide search failed to disclose any trace, it might be the wreckage of the seaplane in which Mr. Russell Merrill was lost over Cook Inlet in September of 1929 or one of the planes lost in the Dole flight to Honolulu in the same year.

The wreckage, including pontoons, was found by Mr. Archie Brunton, who said it had apparently been on the beach for several months. It was believed to have drifted in from Cook Inlet.

The Hochi’s airplane, the Japan-America No. 3, with a crew of three men, took off for Nome, Alaska, from Sabishiro Beach, Aomori Prefecture, on the morning of September 24, 1932, and nothing was heard of it after it flew over Etrof Island, in the Kuriles. It was a Junkers W33, a landplane and not equipped with pontoons.—Japan Advertiser. Anchorage, Alaska, February 23.