U.S.A. AIR INQUIRY

Grey River Argus, 27 February 1925, Page 5

U.S.A. AIR INQUIRY

TO BE REOPENED. WASHINGTON, February 24. The House Aircraft Comittec has decided to reopen its hearings. This decision is due to a public clamour against the hidden decision to close it. The official explanation was that the Committee stopped work owing to a lack of funds. This is disproved, as it lias now been discovered that 2500 dollars arc still available. Moreover, members of tho committee and others offered to defray further expenses personally. It is expected Air Weeks, a Minister, will shortlv be called to give evidence. Naval Secretary Wilbur, addressing the Women’s Conference of National Defence, declared that later on, if the defensive power of aircraft extends 200 miles from the coast, the navy will still be the only protection beyond that point. He asserted that the navy was strengthening and building up its aviation branch. He added: “If bombing planes can sink battleships, wo want bombing planes. We not only want them —we have and are getting them. ’ ’ ZANNI’S FLIGHT. A WARNING FROM RUSSIA. (Reuter.) SEATTLE, February 24. The Argentine aviator, Zanni, has unofficially been warned that he would be arrested if he landed in Siberia during his coming world flight, according to Air Murphy, Argentine consul, who says negotiations are being carried on with both Russia and Argentina, through France, who is friendly with both, to enable Zanni to break his flight between the northern end of Japan and Southern Alaska. The Russian reluctance to lend aid is ascribed to tho action of the Argentine Senate, which is understood, to reflect unfavourably on the Soviet.