Evening star., 1920-05-23

II oIAbLlSdMENI OF brltlen-
X built dir service. controlled
by Great Britain in the same
way that the merchant ma
| rine was dominated prior to the war
with Germany, is foreseen by mill
tary and commercial airmen in this
country as a result of the extended
visit here of Handley Page. the ia
nous English airplane builder. and
| the Incorporation of a s20.o0o.o00
| company under the laws of Della
ware.
Rumor has been busy for several
| weeks with the presence of Handley
Page on these shores, and his recent
visit to Cleveland. Ohio. was fol-
!. lowed by reports that that city was
| to be made a great air port" In
| the meantime Page has opened suite
OF offices on the seventeenth floor of
| the Biltmore Hotel, in New York.
which he occupies with w. H. Work
man. his American representative.
| and it seems to be from that place
| that the project for an American
aerial transport is being directed.
The new corporation is known as
| the Aerial Transport Company, and
| Judge Gray of Niagara Falls is its
temporary president. Its capital is
fixed at s2o.ooo.0oo.
Importation of a large number OF
| foreign machines is viewed by mill
tary aviators as an alarming move,
for it means that lines so established
| will continue to use foreign planes.
| and that the aircraft factories in this
| country will have no chance to de-
Neiop. In case of another war, Amer
ica. they say, will then find herself
in much the same position she was
| on the sea at the beginning of the
war with Germany.
Beat U. 3. Builders In Competition.
An example of the supremacy Eng
| land already is holding in the air is
seen in the order her manufacturers
recently obtained from China for 200
Vickers Vimy airplanes in competi-
tior with American bidders. Those
who foresee England building air.
planes and airplane parts for COM
mercial lines in every part of the
civilized world are not sanguine as to
the part this country will play in the
air during subsequent wars.
The new lines in this country will
be launched with characteristic
British thoroughness, for the capital
will insure their operations for a
period of at least eighteen months,
though not a dollar of receipts should
be taken in during that period. Be-
fore that time is up. however, there
is reason to believe that hundreds of
express will be transported daily
through the air.
EOfeFunneP Of Business Proxrnm.
Current issues of magazines de-
voted to aerial news contain anony-
nous advertisements which state that
announcement soon will be made of
plans for establishing an aerial
transport service. which, it is hoped,
will eventually serve all the impor-
tant cities on the North American
continent" 1t adds that the men
identified with the service will be
those of widest experience. and
American airmen have no doubt that
the coming announcement will be
that of the Handley Page interests.
The Handley Page. Ltd. of Eng
land, owns 81 per cent Of the
syndicate which bought from the
British government all Of its old war
supplies for aeronautics such as air
planes, motors. spares. etc, At very
low pricea- Some of these planes are
now being shipped to this country
for use by the new company. which
will open its air routes with this
equipment, which has become obso-
lete for military purposes. The all
metal planes. first developed by the
Germans. are coming into general use
as fighting machines, relegating the
wood and fabric machines to CONNER
cial purposes.
Ten Trunk Lines Proposed.
Within a year, or less, 1t is planned
to have ten trunk lines in operation
in the United States, reaching from
New York to San Francisco and
branching off to the north and south
to important centers. For the first
year it is planned to carry express
only, and it is believed in Washing
ton that British interests connected
with the American Express Company
are directly concerned in the new