’DROMES AT SEA

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1933, Page 7

’DROMES AT SEA

U.S. SCHEME FOR ATLANTIC

NOW AWAITING AUTHORISATION

The United States Government is on the verge to-day 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 ah overseas pc per. The original plan of the Seadrome Ocean Bock 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 iaw involved which experts wish to examine fully before giving their final approval. It is indicated that irmnediatedly the State Department has decided that international problems wiil not be raised, the Department of Commerce will order construction to begin.

The emergency of the Federal Government as prospbetiv-e vutreprcbieur for the transatlantic chain of floating islands came as a distinct surprise when Mr Daniel C. Roper, Secretary of Commerce, announced a definite decision to finance experiments. An application for a 30,000,0C0-dollar loan from the Public Works Administration had been filed by the Seadrome Ocean Book Corporation for construction of five of the giant floating landing fields as a private venture. The plan was matured sixteen years ago by Mr Edward R, 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 he better, served by a Government-owned system than by ii private corporation, which might tend towards monopolistic control of transatlantic avaition.

Officials of the seadrome corporation expressed a willingness .to surrender their plans to the Government, provided there is full recognition of their patent rights and some recompense of the time and money they have expended iii preparatory experimental work.

No serious delay is expected at th© State Department. As soon as its approval is signed and President Roosevelt 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, whioh each seadrome will cost, build the remaining sections, and complete the first section in the transatlantic chain.