Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-13
FIRST AIR ROUTES
0. K D BY COOLIDGE
Step Is Initial Decisive One
in Development of Com
merciaI Aviation by US.
By j. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

WHITE PINE CAMP, n. ", Au.
gust 13.-President Coolidge today
approved the first two commercial air
! transcontinental air routes as deter
| mined by the newly created aviation
division of the United States Depart
ment of Commerce.
This action by the President. which
! is the first decisive step taken in de-
veloping commercial aviation since
| the creation of this new division OF
| the Department of Commerce, was
! taken today during a conference be-
tween the President and Secretary
| Hoover. The latter, in making known
| this part of his conference with the
President, stated that several other
airways are under consideration, and
announcements can be looked for
soon.
Two Routes Approved.
The two transcontinental routes as
approved by the President today are:
The transcontinental airway to oper-
ate from New York City to the PACING
via Cleveland, Chicago. Iowa city,
Des Moines, Omaha. North rate
| CHEYENNE and Salt Lake City. From
4
branch going to San Francisco and
| the other to Los Angeles.
The second route will be known as
| the southern airway and will operate
from Chicago to Dallas and Fort
Worth, via Moline. st. Joseph, Ran.
sas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City and
| Tulsa.
Among other routes being consid-
cred by the department and whlcn
are practically certain Of early crea'
ton is the one that will pass through
the District Of Columbia. This route
! is to be known as the Atlantic AIT
way, and will operate from Boston 10
| Miami, Fla, via New York, Phiiadei-
| phia. Baltimore, Washington, Raleigh
| and either Savannah or Atlanta. ana
thence to Jacksonville and Miami.
In discussing this route with the
President ts ea today, osecretary Hoover
| said that It will be a great adjunct
to the main system Of air routes. HE
pointed out that already there Is
commendable service between Boston
and New York and between Philadel-
phia and Washington and from At
| lanta to Miami.
Predicts Wide Service.
Secretary Hoover today made the
prediction that within the next six
months this country will have q full
passenger, express and mail service
over the transcontinental route, the
! first Of the two anyways approved by
! the President.
| The Secretary stated that there Is
| not the slightest doubt about this.
| With the assistance and supervision
! to be given by the newly created ava
| ton division of the Department or
| Commerce, regular and dependable "a
! hour service on this air route Is as
sured. He intimated that the South
ern airway Will quickly develop. al
| though he made no prediction ABOUT
! its ability quickly to become de-
pendable passenger and express car
I, rier as we'll as for the transportation
| of mail.
The conference consumed about
three hours. Secretary Hoover came
to the Presidents camp armed with
several portfolios Of papers and sta.
tisttcs. Although a goodly portion OF
| their time was taken by the discus.
sion of the development Of commercial
! aviation. they discussed variety OF
/ subjects The Secretary left the Adj
rondacks shortly after noon for the
West.
! Task Held Large One.
It was pointed out by Secretary
| Hoover that under the new CONNER
| cial aviation law establishing control
| OF the airway examinations and air
| routes in the Department Of Com
merce and that until the decision was
reached regarding the creation or the
| two transcontinentai routes approved
today, the department has been busily
engaged worked out definite plans for
the development Of proposed air
routes and regulations to govern the
maintenance and operation OF landlng
fields and the operation of airplanes
He told the President that the task
has been a large one. but the work
has progressed wonderfully fast.
He explained further that his de
partment Is determining the air
routes after comforting with the Post
Office Department, which has been
| operating it's own air mail service for
several years, and with representa-
tives of the military. He added that
the department always Will have IN
mind the development OF commercial
aviation along lines that Will best
serve the Nations national defense.
One of the reasons why the Com.
merce head spoke so optimlsticaiiy OF
the future Of aviation Is his conf
dence in the several groups of men
now interested in the development OF
commercial aviation
Will Encourage Operation.
1t was made very plain by Mr.
| Hoover that the Government has ne
| intention to operate any or these
lines. On the contrary 1t VIII do every
thing within its power 10 encourage
private enterprises in the manufac
~ or
nlanes. The Government work VII
he confined to mapping out air routes
developing landing fields, placing o.
lights TO. night flying. 1t also will ex
anime pilots. and make such Other
regulations as may be considered
necessary to produce a satiStactor!
service.
.There are four or i've very re
sponsible groups already eXperimen nj
ing with commercial air service. Mr.
Hoover said.
group operating between Detroit ant
Chicago and Detroit and Cleveland.
"T. f. Mitten of the Philadelphia
Ranid Transit Co. is in another groul
'onerat!ng a Philadelphia W ashingtol
line
THE National Air Transport Co. il
another concern. Its president is Pau
Henderson, former Assistant Post
master General. Walter p, Mac
Cracker. who has just been appoint
ed Assistant Secretary of Commerce
in charge Of aviation, was connected
with this company.
Two Others In Groups.
In addition there is Boston groul
and Los Angeles group
Mr. Hoover yiSioned a tremendou
impetus 10 commercial aviation. wit!
The resultant construction OF bi,
fleet of planes that would be nucleu
for an air reserve in war time.
"Our routes" he said. are all he
| ing laid out in cooperation with tn