Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-12
The Lamentab1e Neglect o
Our Aeronautic Interests
T is a sad commentary on our boastet

T Is a sad commentary on our Doasted
American alertness that the Congress
of the United States has as yet given
no consideration to an aerial code. In otner
countries which profess to keep pace Win
civilizations advancing interests, the legal
aspects of air traffic have received, ana
continue to receive, earnest and distinguish
cd attention. Further, an international
agreement covering the more salient points
of aerial activities as they concern the
worlds common interests and common rights
has been subscribed to by virtually all other
Governments, and has been Professionally
signed. with certain reservations by the
American ambassador at Paris. But Con-
gress, notwithstanding the practical and oft
times imperative need of legislation on
matters aeronautic, has remained strangely
unresponsive.
It is regrettable enough as result that
commercial aeronautic enterprises are large
ly without the aid and protection OF law IN
the field of credits, insurance and other es-
sentials. But chiefly deplorable Is the set
back to aviation as national enterprise
. Seeing that Congress is not sufficiently IN
terested to provide aerial code, 1t IS IN
no wise surprising that the constructive ana
progressive side of American aviation mas
Jagged distressfully. Some two years ago the
than twenty thousand officers and more
than one hundred and seve-ty-four tnou-
sand men, not including approximately hfty
thousand in the Navy air service. Today the
total is little more than a thousand officers
and about eighty-three hundred men. AS
for eouipment in the season following the
armistice there were fifteen thousand planes
and twenty thousand engines, there was an
industrial investment of one hundred MIL
lion dollars, there was producing force or
two hundred and fifty thousand employees
Today there is not enough equipment Tor
even the sorely depleted personnel while the
industrial and capital resources have dwin-
died proportionate1y To this have come the
country's aeronautic affairs, with their vi
tai import to national defense and national
pogress-and it is the remissness OF re-
dictionary Congress that is chiefly to blame.
In one particular alone has there been not
able development in the last year or so; the
air mail service has gone splend1dly Tor
ward on meager financial resources. But
that is entirely the enterprise of the post
office department and the army, Congress
having hindered rather than helped.
Even aside from it's military and naval
Importance aviation signifies so much to the
country's commerce and to all interests de-
pendent upon speedy and efficient commu-
uication, that it should receive the Govern
ment's earnest fostering. In the matter or
air mail we well might follow, in principle
az least the example of France and Great
Britain, who pay prizes to operating COM
panies on basis of the business done, and
who encourage the aircraft industry by ade-
uuate laws and enlightened policies. The
incoming Congress can do the nation sub
stantial service by acting promptly and wise
ly on this long neglected duty.