New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
Americans Buy
All Aircraft
OF Canadians
$lO,OOO,OOO Deal Closed by
Syndicate to Transform
PLANES for Peace Use
New Yorker at the Head
Dominion Board Closes
Terms With Civilions; Big
Plants To Be Erected Soon

TORONTO, Feb. 21.-By the pur-
chase of the $1o,oOo,O0o aircraft equip
ment Of the Imperial Aircraft Board
F. G. Ericsson, representative of the
purchasing organization, purposes to
launch in Canada one of the biggest
and most interesting commercial ac-
tivities which the Dominion has seen
in recent years, exclusive of war work,
and at the same time he plans to de-
velop the commercial airplane in an
energetic manner.
The development of the commercial
airplane is one of the direct after
maths of war, and Mr.. Ericsson, who
has obtained control of practically all
the airplanes in the Dominion, hopes
shortly to see this machine become one
OF the most popular vehicles for the
quick transportation of freight, mail,
express and for other purposes.
In discussing his plans Mr.. Ericsson
made it plain that he is approaching
the subject in a broad-minded manner;
he has great confidence in the possi-
bilities of such a machine, if properly
used, in Canada, and he believes the
time is not far distant when the citi-
zens of this country will see airplanes
fitting ali over the Dominion on mis-
slons of business or Of pleasure.
Buys All Equipment
In making the purchase of the com
plete equipment of the Imperial Air
craft Board in Canada, including all
the airplanes which were formerly
used at the various aviation camps in
the Dominion for training cadets for
overseas work, the spare parts, stores,
wings, equipment, wireless stations and
all the odds and ends which made up
the huge system of the Aircraft Board.
Mr.. Ericsson confesses that there are
certain other men behind him whose
names must remain in the background,
For the present, he states, his name
must be accepted as the promoter and
organizer of the concern which pur-
poses now to put the system to its new
commercial uses, and he adds that the
new organization which has been
formed to handle the work will bear
his name alone.
AT the same time he left the impress
sion that there are big financiers not
Tar in the background, though he
stated that none of these are Toronto
men. The Inference left was that they
are Americans
To Sell to the Public
AS to the possibilities of the tu-
ture, when outlined by Mr. Ericsson
they appear boundless. In one re-
spect they are nothing short Of revo.
lutlonary, for if the promoter is able
to- carry out his plans according to
schedule the public will shortly see
the alrplanes offered in the open
market, IN singles or in groups, at a
price which will astonish them.
Ihere are something over 400 ma
chimes now in Mr.. Ericson's possession
as a result of the deal he was able tn
make with the Imperial Aircraft Board.
and the purchaser does not propose 10
reserve them all for commercial pur-
poses.
As he believes that pleasure is one
- 'iS SSoeH'ldlS ol existence, the pro-
moter plans to reit all the machines,
then throw them on the open market
at price which is not beyond the
pocket Of the average wel-to do in
dividual. People have talked of the
pleasure aircraft for many years, only
to give 1T up in the end as an i'm
possibility, as something which is be-
yond the purse of the ordinary citizen,
but, judging from the price quoted
by Mr.. Ericsson yesterday and by the
further plans by which he hopes 10
meet the situation, the aircraft will
soon take its place on the same level
with the automobile. This condition
is possible because of the extremely
was able to get possession of the out
fit of the Imperial Aircraft Board.
While refusing to state the figure
at which he obtained the $1O0O0,OOO
worth of machines, parts, stores, etc,
1t must have been a very fractional
one, for Mr.. Ericsson has announced
that within a very short time he will
be able to offer a tirst-class, over
hauled, up-to-date airplane for the
modest figure of $4,000.
When a person thinks Of an auto
obliged to think of more than $4,000 at
|
lower grades, and he mostly has 20
think of figure anywhere from $4,000
to $4,000 And as Mr.. Ericsson has pur-
chased these machines for the sole
motive of reselling them, he hasn't
the slightest intention of barring the
individual buyer. So watch out for
courtship and joyriding in the sky.
To Help Transportation
Though Mr. Ericsson does not purpose
to bar any purchaser, whether he wants
the machines in singles or in quant-
ties from two to dozen or fifty, he
does hope that the majority will be
bought by commercial concerns who
will make some practical use of them
and who will help him to demonstrate
that the commercial possibilities of
this form of transportation are great.
Mr.. Ericsson points out that there are
many purposes to which a machine of
this type could be put, whether by the
individual or by companies, but he de
nies that portion Of yesterdays dis
patch from New York which stated that
he himself is going to start transporta-
tion routes for the carrying of mail,
express, passengers or freight In the
meantime he is going to leave that to
ehterprising individuals or companies,
but if in the end he finds that none of
the desired class comes forward. then