Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-03
CONTROL Of SEA
FLYING HELD LEGAL
Officials Believe Planes Can
b Be Regulated Like All
- Other Craft.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Legal experts are convinced that
there will be no difficulty in framing
law to stop stunt flying. The move
has the entire sympathy of all Off
Gals connected with aviation.
For a long time it has been recog-
nized that flying over land needed
regulation, but the problem OF
transoceanic flying has never pro.
voked much discussion before, because
the element Of danger to persons on
the surface below was absent. The
theory now, however, is that airplanes
can be regulated just as steamships.
launches or any other passenger-car-
rying craft.
Authority could be vested in the col
lectors of customs not to allow air
planes to get clearance papers unless
they had complied with certain regu.
lations. While, of course, this would
not prevent airplanes from dashing
off from unpatrolled portions of the
seacoast, nevertheless, transatlantic
flying is necessarily attended with
considerable publicity of operations, so
that planes cannot be prepared for
ocean flights without everybody know
ing of 1t.
Inspection System Urged.
All the planes which have come to
grief on the transoceantic flights re-
Gently have carried passengers. II
the United States passed law de-
scribing the conditions under which
messengers could be lawfully carried
from airports of the United States
other countries probably would do
likewise.
First and foremost in the minds OF
officials here is that a system OF in
spection be instituted so that only
planes which have passed certain
tests would be permitted to carry pas
sengers across the ocean from Amer
lean ports. Besides this, it would be
insisted that competent navigators
only be permitted to take the planes.
In other words, airplanes would be put
in the same category as other ocean
going craft in the obligations imposed
on those who attempt to take respon-
oibility for lives other than their own.
There is some debate as to whether
passengers who are now taken for
hire stand in a different relationship
from those who pay a fare, but the
legal experts are saying that the whole
subject can be handled Under the gen.
eral authority of the customs laws so
that clearance papers will not be
granted unless all domestic regulations
have been complied with.
Hold u. S. Has Authority.
Broadly speaking, the Federal Gov.
eminent is charged under the con-
sditution with regulating commerce
between the States and with foreign
countries. While the licensing OF
drivers of automobiles has been en-
tirely a State matter thus far, con-
stitutional lawyers for the most part
conceive that the Federal Government
could take over this task If 1t SO
desired.
Indeed, if the conditions under which
a motorist may drive his car can be
fixed by law, so can the aviator be re-
ouired to conform to certain tests.
Most of the difficulties in connection
with stunt flying over the ocean, ac-
cording to officials here, arise from the
fact that the aviators do not know
enough about ocean navigation. 1t is
hoped that the Government itself Will
be able, through its aviation units, to
increase the knowledge of ocean navi-
CATION. In fact, it will be noted that
practically all of the Army and Navy
flights have been successful, and the
loss of life has occurred in the case
of those civilians who thought they
knew ocean navigation, but who ap-
parently did not know how to steer or
battle with the elements.
Copyright 1921