Evening star., 1921-07-10
GRIDIRONING THE u. S.
WITH AIR HIGHWAYS
Plans Being Worked Out for Transporter
tion Lines for National Defense in War
and Increasing Commerce in Peace.

biggest lines of intercommunication
in the future. practically relegating
the railroads to the junk pile, point
out that it is quite proper for Uncle
Sam to develop them with federal
money. since they are the latest step
in intercomnlunication. which is of
vital need to the country in time of
war and constantly in time Of peace.
They lay stress on the fact that Uncle
Sam has done relatively little for the
development of commercial aviation
as transportation agency. while to
date 10000. 100000 acres of land
have been given to the railroads. and
vast sums of federal funds during and
since the period of government opera
ton. They point out also that fer
many years millions have been ex-
pended annually on river ard harbor
improvement; that In building the
Panama Canal alone Congress- spent
moro than $380,0O0.000. Uncle Sam
has fostered all of the common car
riers. they say, except airways. and 1t
is time now to authorize the appro-
priation of 100000 asked by the
President on the advice Of the ma
tional advisory committee" on aero
nautics. III we are to keep abreast
of the times and give our nation all
that 1t requires to make the most OF
its natural resources, then we must
foster the airway." these forward
looking congressman say.
Aircraft for Long Hauls.
Under the departmental reorganiza-
-efon scheme, the federal agency. view
ing the transportation and communi-
cation problem as a whole. the advo-
Gates of airways development argue,
would consider the airways of prime
Importance in the transportation sys-
tenn. They point out that it is the
logical means of transportation for
long hauls-with no maintenance of
way. no congested traffic. the vehicles
of the air moving in three dimensions
of space along well organized airways.
1t is projected that for exceptionally
long hauls the lighter-than-air craft
will be used. Monster dirigibles will
ascend to sufficient altitude to pass
over all storms. Heavier-than-air
craft will be limited in their cruising
radius only by fuel supply.
Railways would then come second
in Importance as common carriers be-
cause. although shipping covers
greater distances, the railroads touch
a larger number of communities and
more directly affect the daily life of
citizens and industry. Eventually, it
is forecast that shipping or water
haul will carry only the slow and
heavy careoes, The same picture of
the future places automobiles and
trucks as doing the bulk of short
haul traffic, both passenger and mer-
chandise, with the auto pushing the
trolley lines out of existence.
AS a start towards development of
airways. q transcontinental route fol-
lowing the general line of Cleveland.
Chicago. Omaha, Reno and San Fran
cisco is about 40 per cent COMPLETED
in organization. Thus far it is de-
signed only for day flying. Some
fields are too small and subsidiary
landing fields are not sufficiently well
marked.
A model airway has been operated
between Washington and Dayton,
Ohio. The air service is now work.
ing on a definite proposition to make
this route as near perfect as pos
sible with view to extending it all
over the United States.
Plans Of the Air Service.
The air services design for
modern airway is something as fol-
lows: A permanent municipal land
ing field or main terminal every 200
miles; a less important stopping
place every 100 miles: a subsidiary
station every fifty miles. with the
best pastures every few miles marked
off as emergency stopping places in
the event of faulty motor or gas
shortage.
Meteorological stations would be
located at main terminals. Here
would be a weather forcaster with
powerful radio apparatus. Radio sta
tions would be located at 100-mile
stops, where the weather, cloud banks
and other dangers in the way of the
aviator can be accurately forecast and
due warning given. Signal devices
would be installed at every fifty
mile station. All of the general and
many special aids to navigation would
(coptip,ed op Third PaRe)