HINDENBURG CRASH

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 192, 11 May 1937, Page 9

HINDENBURG CRASH

American Inquiry to Call 150 Witnesses EVIDENCE OF COMMANDER By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright (Received May 10, 8.45 p.m.) New York. May 9. The United States Navy Department, has decided to defer its inquiry into the Zeppelin Hindenburg disaster until the Department of Commerce investigation has been completed. This, it is expected, will take a week. The Department of Commerce announces that 150 witnesses will be called. It is hoped that Captain I’reussr the commander, will recover sufficiently Io give evidence, If not, his depositions will be taken at the hospital. BOMBING OF LONDON German War Plan Recalled Cherbourg, May 9. The wife of the former commander of the Hindenburg, Captain Ernest Lehmann, was unaware of her husband’s death till she arrived from Berlin. It is recalled that Captain Lehmann's book, “The Zeppelins,” revealed that lie was the designer of a plan during the Great War for 20 Zeppelins to rain 6000 bombs on London, especially the Bank of England, in lite hope of paralysing the economic system. The plan never reached the Kaiser. Captain Lehmann said, "None of us desired to be a party to it, as it would involve at least 1,000,000 women and children whom we did not desire to destroy without necessity. The city was a precious possession of civilised humanity. When raids were authorised later there was an express stipulation to avoid Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral.” JUST AN ACCIDENT German Ambassador’s Faith Unshaken New York, May 8. General von Boetticher, German Air Attache, who accompanied the German Ambassador, Dr. Luther, to Lakehurst, stated that it was impossible for the crash to have been caused by the firing of an incendiary bullet into the gasbag, one of the many sabotage rumours. After talking with many of Hie survivors among the crew, Dr. Luther reiterated his faith in lighter than aitships, and said it was just an accident. General Goering, German Air Minister, has cabled to Commander Rosendahl, who is a survivor of the Shenandoah dirigible disaster, thanking him for heroic work at the Lakehurst station. which he describes as beautiful proof of the spirit which links the airmen of all nations. Reports that the Zeppelin Company recently received threatening letters which emphasised the possibility of sabotage has prompted a Senatorial investigation. A naval officer who was on the scene at the time of the disaster declared that lack of training of the civilian ground crew which was substituted for the former American naval crews may be partially responsible. RUSSIA NOT DETERRED Building of Dirigibles Moscow, May 9, Russia is not deterred by the disaster to the Hindenburg, and intends to continue building dirigibles.