SEADROMES MAY SPAN THE ATLANTIC

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 23

SEADROMES MAY SPAN THE ATLANTIC

The United States Government is on the verge today of undertaking experiments which may lead, if successful, to a Government-owned and operated chain of floating landing fields or seadromes across the Atlantic, says an overseas paper. The original plan of tho Seadrome Ocean Dock Corporation has been taken over by the Department of Commerce, which is prepared to allocate 1,500,000 dollars for immediate construction of a quarter section of a seadrome for experimental purposes. The only step yet to be taken is to obtain State Department authorisation. There may be some questions of international law involved which experts wish to examine fully before giving their final approval. It is indicated that immediately the State Department has decided that international problems will not be raised, the Department of Commerce will order construction- begun. The emergence of the Federal Government as prospective entrepreneur for the transatlantic chain of floating islands came as a distinct surprise when Mr. Daniel C. Eoper, Secretary of Commerce, announced a definite decision to finance experiments. An application for a 30,000,000-dollar loan from the Public Works Administration had been filed by the Seadrome' Ocean Dock Corporation for construction of five of the giant floating landing fields as a private venture. Thei plan was matured sixteen years, ago by Mr. Edward E. Armstrong, who has

been conducting experiments with scale models since under sponsorship of the corporation which was founded to finance and effectuate his plan. After an exhaustive study, however, Department of Commerce air experts concluded that Government construction and operation of the projected chain would be consistent with its longstanding policy of providing aid for navigation and aviation, and that the interests of American aviation as a whole —and also of international commerce —would be better served by a Government-owned system than by a j private corporation, which might tend towards monopolistic control of transatlantic aviation. Officials of the seadrome corporation j expressed a willingness to surrender their plans to the Government, provided there is full recognition of their patent rights and some fecompense for the time and money they have expended in preparatory experimental work. | No serious delay is expected at the State Department. As soon as its approval is signified and President Eoosevelt adds his endorsement, the Department of Commerce expects to begin construction of the experimental quarter section behind the Delaware Breakwater. , If the single section stands up under service tests in the open sea it will then ask for the balance of the 6,000,000 dollars, .which each seadrome will cost, build the remaining sections, and complete the first unit in the transatlantic chain.