Evening star., 1928-12-23
PLANES, BUILT FOR WAR,
TURNING TO COMMERCE
Year 1923 Is Hailed as Era of Transition.
Aircraft Now Held Important
Peace Factor.
BY w. JEFFERSON DAVIS.

uduIlCdl history dS Tie year Ol
passage from war conceptions of
Il aircraft to their acceptance as
instruments of commerce. More
than that. it will place the airplane,
once conceived only as fighting craft,
as one of the greatest developers of
peace and as a definite influence to-
ward the abolishment of war. This is
not because of its negative influence
by adding to the scientific horrors in
warfare; it comes about through three
constructive uses of airplaneS which
induce powerful opposition to war.
This may be rather surprising, since
the airplane was regarded up to three
years ago principally as war machine.
Prior to the World War it was not
even a potential peace factor, and in
more of spectator than an actual
participant, although its combat,
raiding and observation possibilities
began to appear. Aircraft emerged
from the war with a general classiflca-
ton as war devices, and the first at
tempts at transportation via air were
subsidized with an underlying thought
that preparedness for defense or aggres-
sion was being promoted thereby. The
expectation was that every development
which could be given to aircraft would
advance a wider and more effective
range of war. Yet now we have the
anomalous situation that. our warfare
has sprung the greatest instrument Of
peace, with the possible exception of
radio, which mans inventive genius has
produced.
Still Important in War.
Use of the airplane as foreshadower
= af q
extends beyond the active military aud
naval training. Great Britain'S air
lines are in general projected either to
tie colonies closer into the empire or
for training, yet it is the purely COM
mercial operation of the Imperial Air
ways, Ltd, that enables the concern to
declare dividends. CzechoSlovakia makes
its principal flying work the feeding of
military aircraft to the Balkan states,
and thus far is indifferent to air COM
merce. The Soviet Republics are inter-
ested in aircraft principally for their
fighting value. England and the other
European nations have been influential
in furtherinn Asiatic military air serv-
ices. We have in Europe today two con-
trasting policieS-on the one hand the
policy of the larger nation to supply
smaller nations fighting aircraft on a
purely commercial basis. On the other
hand is the policy of economic states
manship in laying aside the airplane as
an instrument of warfare in order to
utilize its sister type as a means of
transportation and extension of COM
merce.
Germany furnishes the mcst striking
proof of this. Since the var the Ger
man people have become "air-minded"
In their attitude toward airplaneS as a
RneanS for transportation, and the great
German airway system. the Deutsche
Luft HaQsa Co., has its lines flying over
Europe, flung to the north into Finland
and. Sweden, into Moscow and Buda-
pest on the east, Switzerland and Spain
on the south and to Amsterdam, Lon
don and Paris on the west,- and airlin-
ing together every important city be-
tween these points. The German sys-
tenn also has under way intercontinen-
tai air transportation across Asia and
Africa and into South America, and
would extend this to North America
were it permitted to do so.
Whether so great a development was
conceived solely as a business and not
ct all for war training is not of record,
but it is clear that Lust Kansas man
aging directors stand decidedly for air.
worlds transportation and are strongly
against its possible conversion to war
uses. They foreSee German aircraft
flying abroad and at home as business
craft and do not relish any conception
of shift to war area. This is also
the attitude of DR.. Hugo Eckener, the
successor to Count Zeppelin in the
German dirigible airship development.
In all probability it will be the stand
of other authorities on air transporta-
ton outside of Germany
Reasoning Is Simple.
The reasoning which brings this
about is not difficult to understand
Every expert in actual air tranSporta
ton operation who Is able to observe
a general transportation development
OF an misunderstanding airlines which
are purely mail-handling concerns or
which operate on such small capacity
that tariffs must be excessive-sees
great possibilities in well managed
business of this sort. Time and much
expenditure of funds, a special and
extremely thorough training of per-
sonnel, some political strategy and the
collection of highly specialized knowl-
edge are essential in building a sue
cesSful air transportation system, as
with any transportation business.
The more efficiently such a system
Is built up, the more thoroughly war
would wipe 1t out, SeiZing men and
craft and utterly demoralizing the sys-
tenn as business. And at wars close.
in all probability, prohteers who would
be able financially to do so and who
would likewise be powerfully established
politically would have and would take
full opportunity to go into the airline
business instead of the men who built
up the original system and who, be-
cause of their very expertnesS, would
be called upon to fight and not to
profit. These developers of air COM
merce would turn back from the war
not to resume their old executive places
but to become employees Of profteers.
And they would do this, for the grip
of transportation upon its devotees is
firm. as Story-tellers know in many
lands and on many seas. and it holds
the airman even in greater force than
the sailor of the seas or the follower
Of the rails.
Influence Against War.
Why, then, should men who are held
responsible for expenditures of large
capital and much human effort favor
the quitting Of the resulting develop
nent and the absolute loss of their in
ternational extensions as we'll as their
commerce in their own country? Their
influence Is certain to be most vigorously
against war, and they will be alert in
opposition when battleship builders, mu-
nitions makers and their politicians
wave the war flag. The air transport
men will have nothing to gain and
everything to lose if war is declared.
This will apply to air transportation
executives whose countries may not be
directly affected, for air transportation
goes beyond frontiers and beyond high
seas War must deVollr anv air blIsi.
ness it can reach, and no air transpor-
tation executive can be in the business
very long before this will loom as
vital matter to his airline. Whether he
is altruistic or not your airway presi-
dent or director must become either
peace advocate or traitor to his busi-
ness
This may be termed the inside point
of view, and it will be found in air