Evening star., 1932-03-17
i. s. EXPERTSFEAR
WORLD AIR FORCE
Europe Jealous of Advance in
American Aviation, They
Declare.
BY A. G. WEST.

American air commerce is in grave
danger of being seriously crippled If
the French proposals to create an
international air force are adopted
at the Disarmament Conference at
Geneva.
This threat to the very existence of
United States air trade with South
America and to the future progress Of
its air industry has Just been received
in washington, and is being studied by
the State Department. Discussions at
Geneva on this knotty problem have
come to a standstill in the last week,
due TO the inability Of the conferees
to come to any agreement, as. pre-
sented by the opening paragraphs OF
the proposals filed by NJ. Andre Tar
dieu on behalf of France.
While it has been anticipated that
suggestions would be made IN regard to
bombardment aircraft and a gesture of
limitation toward aerial bombing, these
new proposals to place civil air trans
ports, as well as bombardment planes,
at the disposal of the League of Ma
tions have already aroused good deal
of opposition Earlier conferences on
disarmament have included references
to the possibilities of curbing the strides
made by American commercial aircraft,
but it remained for the 1882 Arms Con-
ference to seriously consider a plan
that would inevitably disrupt our air
trade with the Southern Hemisphere
and other distant points.
Leaders consulted here in Washing
ton in regard to these French proposals
scorn the idea that this Nation would
permit such plan to be ratified. Ac-
cording to William P McCracken,
former Assistant Secretary for Aero
nautics with the United States DEPART
ment of Commerce. who has examined
the proposals to internatiOnalize civil
aircraft 1T is inconceivable that such
a plan can meet with approval in the
United States. This country would
never consent to have its civil air trans
ports either national or international
be regulated or operated under any
agreement whose purpose was other
than to provide uniform standards of
safety or to facilitate the commerce of
the Nation"
This view was concurred in by Rep
reSentatiVe Chester C. Bolton of Ohio,
formerly an aviator in the Army dur
ing the World War, who stated most
emphatically, Il certainly am not in
favor of any reduction in either civilian
or bombardment aircraft that some one
over there at Geneva might propose for
the United States Aviation is merely
in its infancy today, and with con-
ditions in aeronautics as they now are
we cannot permit any one to weaken
this Nation with respect to its air
forces
The Democratic chairman of the
Military Subcommittee on Appropria-
tions, who is a firm believer in the
future of aviation, was equally opposed
to any suggestion that America should
reduce its aircraft, or be controlled as
outlined by the French plan. Mr.. Col
Inns said without hesitation that there
is no possible chance of cur agreement
to any such scheme Of naturalization
of our airplanes."
None of the officials of the Navy De-
partment or OF the War Department
is in a position to make statements in
regard to the far-reaching possibilities
of this attempt to limit American civil
and bombardment planes advocated by
France. But it is known that when
Ambassador Gibson had prepared to in
clude in his opening speech at Geneva
q reference to the complete abolish
mert Of bon bers," and the fact became
known in advance, so much antagonism
was developed that the matter was
finally referred to Secretary Stimson by
telephone, with the result that the
reference in question was omitted.
The inference is. that from earlier
statements that have leaked out from
conferences held in Washington before
the American delegation sailed various
members of the group were not in en-
tire accord in the matter. A great drive
is being made at this time by certain
OF the peace organizations to eliminate
all bombardment aircraft, and since
these are quite generally conceded Nv,
all the naval and military experts of
the world to represent the sole hope
OF defense against possible air attacks
OF the future, any concession along this
line OF protection would be made at the
expense of safety for Our great sea-
coast cities, such as New York, Boston,
Baltimore and probably Washington.
Behind the scenes, therefore, several
OF the peace organizations are reported
as making hasty study of the latest
types of air defense and air strategy
and have sent out calls for books and
photographers on this subject in order
to prepare refutations of any argu-
mentS that might be presented by the
United States Government experts at
Geneva.
However, it is most improbable that
this Nation will be placed in the posi-
ton where it would be necessary to con-
slider the abolition of bombardment
planes, since these have been shown to
be SO integral part of the national
defense and as such are naturally a
vital part Of the policies of the United
States.
The effort to include in the disarma-
ment proposals a series of measures
dealing with civil air transports Is much
more interesting, especially as it has
long been known that many foreign
nations have been watching the devel-
opments Of American air trade in the
Latin American countries with mingled
feelings of envy and reproach. Accord
ing to the frequent comments that ap-