San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-26
Little Development Here
Commercially and Gov
eminent Subsidies May
Be Needed to Stimulate
Air Travel.
BY GEORGE WHITE


Chicago. Aug. Aug. 25.-why is
there so little commercial aviation in
the United States: Are Americans
afraid TO fly or is there not enough
capital TO support any serious enter.
prise in civilian aviation?
In the last three years l have made
thirty-six trips by airplane to all thu
important flying fields in England
France, Germany. Holland. Belgium
and Poland. Everywhere l heard tn,
same story-that more American
travel by airDlane in Europe than PEG
pie of all other nationalities com
bined. 1t cannot be then that Amey'
cans are afraid to fly. T..
The answer to the question, ~
capital is no. so simple. 60" -,
the poorest among the couyest f fIent
TONED above, has the <sr e sirn, oiees
of commercial and pass st least p' Gor
in Europe-numericaer " are "' l;m Teni
man airplanes, 5eto { )-borse nower
by the peace TRANS that the largest
motors whichfe IS as large-or as
herman aR smallest machine in the
3ftries mentioned. If il were
otner 2 the treaty limitations, how
hot Germany without doubt would
| eve the largest airplanes worth while
from a business point of'view. That
being the case it cannot be argued tn. t
,he united otates, the coun-
try on earth. cannot afford the best
aviation facilities available.
Government Subsidies the Answer.
The plausible answer to the question
OF money for aviation was offered by
former United States government
official with whom / recently travelled
in an English airplane from London TO
Cologne. This airplane. by the way.
was called "City of Chicago" and
Chicago may well be proud of this
winged foreign godchild. since the
city of Chicago" is a 45O-horse pow.
er. ten passenger machine, which has
made scores of trips between England
and Germany without accident.
Commercial aviation in England.
France, Holland and Germany is flour.
ishing because the governments of
those countries support the private
companies. granting them large sub.
Sides this American ex-official told
me. "Ostensibly these subsidies are
granted because all these planes carry
mail. But there are few planes
among them that could not be con-
verted into death-dispatching bombing
IN case of war. Ninety-five
per cent of the commercial planes
operated by private Dutch companies
Are Foker monoplanes, and only five
years ago planes of this type. piloted
Dy German aviators, carried out muir
ferrous raids on French towns. And
he German Junker planes-are they
lot among the best we have in our
lying service in the American army
But the United States. Which has
money to burn for other purposes. has
lone next TO nothing thus far to
,oost commercial flying"
Commercial aviation seems there
ore to depend largely on government
ubsidies.
Quick British and French Advance.
Military authorities in Europe and |
america agree that the airplane will |
'lay a far more important part in the
lext war than it did in the last. Sta |
istics, show that the United States
5 second only TO France in military |
lviation. But as TO commercial avia
ion European statistics never even
mention this country.
The enthusiastic American travelling
n Europe-especially il he is inter
'sted in flying-suffers intense chagrin
when he sees what countries so much
mailer than the United States have
accomplished in this field. When in
920 made my first flight from Brus-
els to London / Travelled in an open
wo-passenger biplane-an old war-ma-
'hine from which the machine-guns
md bomb-racks had been removed. An
hey had on the flying field of Brus-
els ten "ere couple Of weather
'eaten hangers built by the Germans
Turing the war. l landed at Cricket
vood. near London. another military
Walton field which has since beer
A year later I made nun.
rous trips to Brussels, London. Paris
amsterdam and the German flying cen.
ers. / went in great eight to four
air limousinese each
Iuipped with such comforts and lux
ries as are found in a $4,000 auto