Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-14
NEW D. c. AIRLINE
TO FIGHT EASTERN
Hourly 65-Minute Service to
New York Planned by COL
Iins.Earhart Group.

A crisis in the local air transport
situation was indicated today when
plans were made known for a new high
speed air passenger service between
Washington and New York paralleling
the existing Eastern Air Transport
service.
The opening Of the new line, 1t Is
understood, will be accompanied by an
effort to GUST Eastern Air Transport
from Washington Airport and may in
volve both the Post Office and Com
merce Departments in the dispute
The new service will be opened by
Paul F. Collins and Amelia Earhart
Putnam, both vice presidents in the
Ludington AirlineS, which were forced
out OF business and absorbed by Eastern
Air Transport. Collins and Miss Ear
hart are understood to be connected
with the New York company, which
has just purchased Washington Airport
and Hoover Field, combining them into
the present Washington Airport. the
Capitals only air terminal. Both also
are officers Of the new Boston-Ma
Always, operated for the Boston-M
and Maine Central Railroad
Backing Is Generous.
Collins and Miss Earhart, it is report
ed, have heavy financial backing for
their plan to engage Eastern Air Trans
port in q competitive fight for the
Washington-NeW York air transport
business.
Decision to open the fight against the
powerful Eastern Air Transport line, it
Is understood, came after North Ameri-
can Aviation, operator of Eastern Air
Transport and affiliated aeronautical
enterprises. had declined to purchase
Washington Airport. 1t is understood
that National Airport Corporation, own
er OF the airport since the two proper
ties were sold at public auction early
last month, offered North American
and its parent company, General
Motors Corporation, the choice of
buying the airport under penalty Of a
franchise being offered to an airline
which would compete with Eastern Air
Transport.
The two properties, 1t is understood
were offered to North American at the
price quoted to the Federal Government
during the recent congressional airport
&C tivities
A Today period which had been
allowed for acceptance Of the offer ex-
pired without any word having been
received from General Motors or North
American and drafting of plans for the
competitive service began at once.
New Plan Nearly Ready.
Organization plans for the new high
speed airline which will compete directly
with Eastern Air Transport have been
nearly completed. it is understood An
order which it is understood will amount
to more than S2500O0 is to be placed
before October l for fleet of planes
Collins, who Is one of the country's
ranking transport pilots in point of
service, recently completed trip to the
Pacific Coast, during which he inspected
all of the new transport planes.
The planes which will be put into
service will make possible a reduction
Of travel time between Washington and
New York to IS minutes, it is claimed
The planes are expected to have a
cruising speed of nearly 200 miles per
hour. Hourly service between the two
cities. which was the outstanding fea-
ture OF the Ludington plan, is to be the
aim Of the new service, it IS understood
National Aviation Corporation of
New York. whose subsidiary, National
Airport Corporation, is the owner and
operator of Washington Airport. is said
to be the chief hacker of the new air
line. which probably will be operated
n vi tllC 4NcW VI n
group.
Collins to Be Manager.
Collins, Frank F.. Russell, manager
Of Washington Airport, and Samuel j.
Solomon, vice president OF National
Aviation, are expected to be officers of
the new transport line. Collins prob
ably will be operations manager of the
new line, having held this same posi-
ton with the Ludington system.
As a preliminary to the establish
ment of the new line Miss Earhart
within the past week has wsged a fight
to bring about the rewriting of a
clause in the N. r. A. air transport
operators code which would have pro-
hibited the setting up of competitive
parallel air transport lines. Although
the new code has not yet been an
nounced, 1t is understood this clause
will be so changed as to permit opera
ton of the new airline