Business & Finance: Cleveland Aviation

In the national play for aviation manufacture, Cleveland last week lost another deal, recuperated on a previous loss. ^ The current loss was Goodyear Zeppelin Corp.’s proposed factory for building, first, two airships larger than the Los Angeles or Graf Zeppelin, and later, simi-lar ones. Cleveland wanted the industry. Los Angeles, San Diego and 100 other cities wanted it. President Paul Weeks Litchfield of both the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and the affiliated Goodyear Zeppelin Corp., chose Akron, Goodyear headquarters.

A previous loss was the military airplane business of Glenn L. Martin Co. It is moving to Baltimore.

But happily for Cleveland, President William Robert Wilson of the Detroit Guardian Trust Co., a onetime automobile executive, planned with Detroit, Chicago. Manhattan and Cleveland bankers to enter commercial aviation. They formed the Great Lakes Aircraft Corp. with their thoughts on the Martin factory and airfield about to be abandoned in Cleveland. Glenn L. Martin was willing to sell his property, leases and restricted rights to his patents for about $2.000,000. Last week the deal was closed. Great Lake? Aircraft will build medium-sized planes to carry passengers and mail.