Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27
HOOVER TO CRISS-CROSS
NATION WITH AIR LINES
Ambitious Program Eventually Will
Place u. S. i'm Front Ranks of
Commercial Aviation.

nautics in the Department of Com
merce, with power:
l. To regulate civil air navigation
in the United States.
2. To license pilots and inspect and
register aircraft.
3. TO develop, establish or take
over and maintain air routes and air
navigation facilities.
4. To administer international air
navigation regulations as they affect
the United States.
8. To encourage and promote civil
air transport and the aircraft in
dustry and trade.
The committee urged recognition Of
the public right of free air navigation,
and recommended correlation of the
rules of water navigation with air
navigation.
Government Is Restricted.
Regarding a Government policy for
civil and industrial uses of aircraft,
the committee urged that the Govern
ment do not engage in non-military
flying activities that could properly
be performed by private operation.
Congress, in it's law setting up the
bureau recommended by the commit
tee, declared, 1T shall be the duty
of the Secretary Of Commerce to
foster air commerce.; to encourage the
establishment of airports, civil air.
ways and ether air navigation facili-
ties; to make recommendations to the
Secretary Of Agriculture as to the
necessary meteorological service; to
study the possibilities for the develop
ment of air commerce and the aero
nautical industry and trade in the
United States and to collect and dis
to- f,rS val thnr0f n
and also as regards the existing state
Of air transportation"
AS outlined in the committee re-
port. Congress authorized the Secre-
tary Of Commerce to provide for the
granting of registration to aircraft
eligible for registrations; to provide for
the rating of aircraft in the United
States as to their airworthiness, and
to provide for the periodic examina-
ton and rating of airmen serving In
connection with aircraft of the United
States as to their qualifications for
such service. The Secretary is also
authorized to establish air rules for
the navigation, protection and identi-
fication of aircraft, including rules as
to safe attitudes of flight and rules
for the prevention of collisions be-
tween vessels and aircraft.
Other Powers COnIerreu.
In addition, the Commerce Depart
ment head is empowered to designate
and establish civil airways the mat
ter now under consideration and TO
establish, operate and maintain along
such airways all necessary air navl-
cation facilities except air ports; to
chart such anyways and arrange for
publication of maps of such a1rways.
using the facilities and assistance OF
existing agencies of the Government
so far as practicable.
Under these broad powers, Mr..
Hoover plans to proceed with creation
of a system of national anyways. to be
laid down in accordance with prac-
tees already used by the air mail
service and the Army aerial service,
and proven both by the test of time
and actual flying conditions. Further,
the time may come in the not dis
tant future when all the Always and
landing fields now under the control
of the Post Office Department Will
pass to the control of the Commerce
Department, for the act provides for
such transfer whenever the heads OF
the two departments may so direct,
by Joint order. This is in direct line
with the recommendations of the joint
aeronautics committee, which urged
that the Post Office Department &C.
lively encourage the establishment
and extension of air mail services
and that, as rapidly as it Is possible
to contract with private operators.
the Post Office Department retire
from the ownership and operation of
such air mail routes, turning it's air.
way equipment over to the Bureau of
Civil AeronauticS.
America, even though the airplane
was developed here little more than
CONTINUED on Third Pagal