May 7: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LAKEHURST, N.J. — As the burnt, twisted hunk of metal that was the proud Hindenburg lay on the ground here today, and the Navy searched for bodies, sabotage was darkly hinted as the cause of the explosions and fire which wrecked the dirigible. Tearfully, in Berlin, Dr. Hugo Eckener, her designer, prepared to sail for America on the Europa today, declaring that sabotage must be considered when the explosions are investigated. In Washington, Senator Royal S. Copeland, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that Harold E. Hartney, committee investigator, had been instructed specifically to determine whether sabotage was responsible for the destruction. The explosions and fire on the giant dirigible, ‘the perfect airship,’ late last evening, just as she was putting into port on her first transatlantic flight of 1937, left this unofficial toll: Known dead or missing — 32. Injured — 50. Delay in release of the complete list of dead and missing, it was explained by press representatives of the Zeppelin Company, was caused by the lack of an official passenger list. That was destroyed by the flames.”
***
ON THIS DAY IN 1937, Eagle columnist Paul Mallon wrote, “Latest check indicates Mr. Roosevelt cannot get six justices, no matter what he does. Even the House is against this. Many think the best he can get there is two justices and a constitutional amendment providing automatic retirement of judges over 70 or 75. The president, however, has given no indication that he would compromise even to the extent of half an eyelash of the sixth judge. The truth is most legislators wish the court packing plan had never been offered. They would like to forget about it. They feel that it is only a personal issue with the president, and less important than he seems to believe it. Rumor also persists at the Capitol that two court members intend to resign after the present term ends. If that should develop, then all the hard feelings engendered by the court fight would have accomplished minus zero.”