THE AIRSHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 74, 29 March 1922, Page 7

THE AIRSHIPS

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HOPE OF STARTING SERVICES

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COFMiaHT.) (iINTIMI.TAN - MW IMM»» Mill jIISOCIATIOH.? (Received March 29, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 28th March. The Pall Mall Gazette announces that a syndicate, hacked by a firm, of armament makers, ■ has been formed with the object of acquiring the Government airships in the hope of later arranging regular transatlantic and Indian services.

[Practically ever since the end of the war efforts have been made to utilise the big dirigibles owned by the British Government as the nucleus for an extensive commercial airship service. The most important step was the free offer of the airships and the subsidiary plant by the Government to a suitable organisation, to which it was also_ proposed to grant a large annual subsidy for a period. Mr. A. Ashbolt, Agent-General ror Tasmania, vigorously and consistently advocated the plan, which had a large measure of popular support. The recent disasters in which the R3B and the Roma were destroyed was a severe setback. It was recently announced by the Air Minister, Captain Guest, that owing to the failure to make arrangements lor an Imperial service, the Government had decided to get rid of the airships, but he stated that offers for them could still be considered. The armament firm mentioned is probably Vickers Limited, whom Mr. Ashbolt has previously mentioned in connection with the business side of the proposals.]