SCENES AT LAKEHURST

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 82, 17 October 1928, Page 11

SCENES AT LAKEHURST

SOME UNPLEASANTNESS TOO MUCH OFFICIALISM Australian Press Association. NEW YORK, 15th October. .News from Lakehurst states that the Graf Zeppelin covered 5000 miles Upon arrival the airship called for a large quantity of fabric to repair the torn flu. The ship was greeted by Bear-Admiral Moffett, high German and American officials, and Government leaders. Thousands of people thronged the field and broke through ttio police hues, to swarm about the dirigible. Police and marines finally cleared the held. Captain Eckener, the ..rst to appear, greeted vthe crowd with "Delighted to be here." He received a tremendous ovation. Customs, immigration, and health officers boarded the Zeppelin and per-formed-.their duties as they would on a liner. The airship's owners feel tliat the night has proved the feasibility of using gasbags, for commercial transportation, despite the fact that the Zeppelin took nearly as long to cross the ocean as do fast steamships. The airship proved most difficult to place in the hangar, and soldiers are still attempting to move it inside to avoid stormy weather, but they will probably have to moor it to the mast and load water ballast aboard as the passengers leave. ALLEGED BLOWS. Considerable unpleasantness has been aroused by statements from German and American officials that members of the opposite groups had been most discourteous, although unfamiliarity with the languages probably caused this. A passenger, Theo. Matiko, stated that he was struck on the face by an official when alighting. He added that this was his,first visit,to the.United States, but that he had found more courtesy among the natives of Albania and Bulgaria. Captain Eekencr described the accident to the .fin as ",a little bust which never happened before and such as will never happen again." He stated that his son, Knute, was the hero of the occasion when he climbed on the fin to effect repairs. Passengers grouped together in an indignation meeting stated that they would boycott the receptions planned for them if the Customs failed to allow them to leave quickly. However, Herr Karl yon Lewinski, Consul-General, advised the passengers that.the delay was dut to Captain Eckener's command that nobody should approach tho airship, and stated that he had be.en struck on the. face by the guard, and the Assist-

ant-Secretary of, the. Navy, Mr. E. P. Warner, was threatened with arrest by one of his own men.