NEW AIRSHIP SCHEME.

CABINET’S DECISION.

BY OUR PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT

A question is to be addressed to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons this afternoon by Sir Samuel Hoare which will afford Mr. Ramsay Macdonald an opportunity of stating the decision to which the Cabinet has just come with respect to the building of airships. The Secretary of State for Air (Lord Thomson) proposes to make a full announcement on the subject in reply to a question by Lord Gorell in the House of Lords to-morrow.

It will be remembered that when the Unionist Government went out of office they had approved the Burney airship scheme, under which a commercial service of airships to India, and subsequently to Australia, was to be established. It was intended to include a sum of £400,000 in the Air Estimates for the current year as a first contribution by the State on account of the subsidy which was to be given. With the advent of a Labour-socialist Government the question was reopened, and after a fresh examination of the whole subject the Cabinet at length have made up their minds.

At one time it appeared probable that the Burney scheme would be completely upset, but the Cabinet have had second thoughts, and as a result, the proposals will be carried out on a limited scale. The Government have sanctioned the construction of two airships – one to be built by the Air Ministry at Cardington, and the other by the private company interested in the Burney scheme. It is gathered that the Burney airship, which may be built at Howden, in Yorkshire, will be of 5,000,000 cubic feet capacity, and designed specially for commercial work.

When this vessel is completed, and has undergone experimental trials, it will be purchased by the Government. The airship will in due course fly to India, but it is understood that the Air Ministry will assume control of it after a series of flights in this country and will not wait until the long voyage to the East has been accomplished.

There will be criticism in Parliament of the Government’s decision, on the ground that the Air Ministry has neither the experience nor the facilities necessary for building airships.

ANOTHER “BIG BANG.”

In connection with the investigation into the propagation of sound and its relation to the meteorological conditions in the upper atmosphere, arrangements have been made by the French Institute of Physics and the French Ministry of War for a series of three explosions to be made, each of ten tons of melinite, to take place to-morrow at 7.30 p.m., on May 23 at 8 p.m., and on May 25 at 9 a.m. The sound, if heard at all in this country, might be expected to reach the nearest parts of England some twenty to thirty minutes afterwards, and may possibly be heard later at points in the interior of the country.

The Director of the Meteorological Office, Air Ministry, Kingsway, W.C. 2, would be glad to receive details of any observations made in this country. The points to be noted are:

The exact time, to the nearest second where possible, of the sound or sounds if more than one is heard. Watches should be compared with a standard clock or with the wireless time signal before or after the explosion.

The direction from which the sound appears to come.

Intensity of the sound and whether easily audible to an observer not previously warned.

Character of the sound.

Weather at the time, state the sky, temperature, direction and force of the wind, and direction from which clouds are moving.

FOR LONDON’S GIRLS.

Lady Cory yesterday asked a large party to her beautiful house in Belgrave-square – with its wonderful treasures of the embroideries done by herself and her late sister, Lady Carew – to meet Lady Selby Bigge, who occupies the chair of the “Triangle” Forward Movement for establishing a comprehensive social and recreative centre for London’s business girls. The purpose of the gathering was to enlist the support of those in whose power it lies to give support and publicity to the enterprise, and to meet these guests were also present the Hon. Emily Kinnaird (so long a devoted supporter; of the Young Women’s Christian Association, under whose auspices this project is being launched), Lady Olga Montagu, and the Hon. Mrs. William West. Lady Selby Bigge said that the people whose interests they most desired to awaken were the society women who employed the dressmaker, the milliner, the manicurist, and relied so largely upon the work of girls in contributing to the amenities of life. If all those would contribute the price of even a single brick these business girls might be placed in possession of a centre that would be helpful and recreative, and there was not one of them who would not welcome it.

Miss Snelson, who is organising the effort, said that they were not actually launching their appeal until they had done something in the direction of educating the public mind to the need for such a centre. During the days from May 26 to 30 there would be a campaign to awaken such interest. Already they had secured the support and influence of the heads of many of the most important houses. The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England had himself introduced her to the girls employed there. At Harrods, Sir Woodman Burbidge had himself presided at a meeting of the young women there, who had taken up the idea, with warm approval, and promised to contribute to it. In several other cases the chairmen or the managing directors had given similar assistance. They were approaching these by groups, the leaders of whom would be able to secure the hearing of those to whom they addressed themselves.

The girls of the staff of Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son. have undertaken to raise £500 of the £250,000 that is the estimated cost of the scheme.