The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

develop American aeronaut'cs" Glenn
III. Curtiss. fpioneer pilot and engineer.
said when asked for his views zone is
the passage by the next Congress OF a
Federal code OF the air TO be enforced
by single Cove nment agency. The
other is the formulation of a national
policy, calculated TO coordinate the vari-
GUS service programmes. so that the art
can be advanced through scientific ex-
pertinent.
THE industry can hardly look for a
conservative Increase in the civilian de-
mand for aircraft within the next few
year5 unless adequate regulation Is pro-
vided. This is needed particular y IN the
vicinity of New 70 X, where low flying
over the city is frequently attempted.
No fights should be permitted over
densely pop lated areas 1T hei hi lower
thar that VIII ch make possible e ide
without power to the nearest landing
field. An airplane a NILE high should
be able to glide from six to sight miles.
I'm intercity flying levels must be
established along the reccgn zed air
routes. What these will be rem irs to
be determined but military. postal.
freight and passenger craft require sep
arate c'assihcations. Certainly min
mum altitude win be set. The Govern
ment organization which undertakes to
enforce the rules of the air must CEN
tralize control and have sufficient lati-
tude to alter the rules at will to meet
such emergencies as may arise during
aviations progress
1.-THE cons de- alton of the Code of the
Air affords opportunity to consider the
closely allied subject of a unified Cove n
ment programme calculated to encourage
experimental design and construction.
I'M h a
during the war greater progress could
have been made. In the future the
national air policy should deal not so
much with large appropriations for
aeronautics generally, in which no par
ticular attention is paid to scientific ex-
pertinent, but II shorld be the ende1vor
to determine first what the country seeks
in the way OF civilian and military air.
craft Improvement and then make this
Improvement possible. In my opinion 1t
would be unfortunate were Congress.
when the very pertinent question of
aerial law comes before It. to foil to
consider also what appears to many the
equally pertinent subject of general air
policy"
Cr6weII Finds Foundation.
Benedict Croweli former Assistant
Secretary Of War and head of the Amer
can Aviation Mission made it plain that
the problem of legislation Is an urgent
one. He said
"The development of aerorautics in
the United States awaits the adoption OF
suitable regulations Just now we have
interstate. national and international
laws and agreements covering rail and
water operations. So INST we have
similar control over traffic through the
air The necessity for this was made
apparent to al beligerents during the
war, and apparently all excert- the
Urited States have adopted some sort OF
aerial code. The International Aerial
Convention 60 med
the peace treaty, doubtedly affords
basis from which we can begin COM
siderati n. This cow ntion has now
been sicned by Ambassado Wallace with
reservatio as ~~~gested by the Ameri-
can Aviation Mission.
THE necessity for aerial law, apart
from national defence reasons. is APP
parent when It is remembered that mod
ern business developm9nt begins largely
upon credit and adequate insurance.
Aerial transport lines can not hope TO
obtain capital until Federal regulation
gives the investor more assurance that
he is going into q business project in
stead OF n romantic venture. Rates of
i,sfirarce viii ~emain high so long as
no central Federal authority exists to
qualify pilots ana certify aircraft. Most
OF the accidents that have occurred in
lying are traceable to the lack Of proper
regulation. Accidents prejudice public
confidence and hamper thef advance oil
the art commercially.
1.-THE American Aviation Mission
learned that future national security lay
in an adequate system of aerial defence,
and that this in turn deNerdcd not so
mich upon a huge military flying estab-
lishment as upon a vast civilian aerial
reserve-draft, personnel and industry
capable OF sudden expansion In emer-
gercy. This civi ian reserve cannot he
built up without the enactment and COM
netent enforcement of a national aerial
code which recognizes International con-
tact
'In this respect we are being sur
passed by our rivals in the air Ard
herein lies the danger to our national
security. 1t is my personal conviction
that code of the air must be adopted
by the next Congress, and that It's sue
,'eysful application can = come only
Trough the creation of a responsible
centralized Federal agency charged with
the conduct OF affairs of the air"