The ' Hindenburg ' The destruction by fire of the
airship Hindenburg', which crashed last Thursday while landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, and the loss of 34 lives, will have at least one perma- nent effect ; as Dr. Eckener said last Friday : " This is the last airship to use hydrogen." It seems certain that the fire was the result of an explosion caused either by lightning or by sparks from the machinery which ignited the hydrogen ; suspicions of sabotage were soon removed. In future hydrogen will give way to helium, the non-inflammable gas of which the United States has a monopoly ; it is used in the U.S. air- ships and it is still doubtful whether permission will be given for it to be exported. Yet General Goring has already given orders that work is to be expedited on the Hindenburg's ' successor, which is to be ready as soon as possible ; even if the United States should consent to export helium, for Germany there will remain the difficulty of paying for it ; the cost is about 3o times that of hydrogen. Thus an indirect result of the disaster will probably be to add to Dr. Schacht's exchange difficulties. But it is to be hoped that such obstacles will be overcome and that Germany may continue to develop her transatlantic airship services, which until now she has operated with such conspicuous success. Meanwhile Herr Hitler has wisely ordered that the service shall be suspended till the situation has been more fully considered. The ' Graf Zeppelin' therefore will remain for the moment in Germany.
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