Evening star., 1934-11-18
American Air Liners
Achievement Is Noted
my - ADnINCR
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, November 17-Ine great
air race from England to Australia
is already bearing fruit. On the
face of it, that race was triumph
for the British airmen. Scott and
Black, who, in covering the $4,000
miles in three days. not only won
the first prize Of s50,OOO, but maze
havoc of ali previous records.
But, after the first glamour OF that
spectacular performance had faoeo,
attention became centered on the
much more practical achievement
of Parmentier and Moll, the Dutch
pilots of the large American Douglas
air liner, which finished second.
It was realized that, while the
Scott-Black flight was dazzling
tour de force. that of the Douglas
plane was vastly more important as
an evidence of what was possible In
the development of commercial avia-
ton. 1t was seen that in that dl-
rection Britain Jagged hopelessly in
the rear of America-and not of
American alone, for the continental
countries, notably Germany, are also
in advance Of us in the exploitation
of business aviation.
X
Comparisons were made between
the speed of the commercial services
in the United States and that of the
airnail services within the British
Empire. 1t was felt, as the London
Times observed. that If the United
States can produce a Douglas air
liner and Sikorsky flying boat, then
Great Britain should be able to pro-
duce something better than airliners
and seaplanes which cruise at speeds
between los and 125 miles an hour.
Air services. in the words of Sir
Eric Geddes at the annual meeting
of Imperial Always, have come to
be regarded as an indication of ma
tional prestige, and widespread de-
mand is made in the press that
empire services should work on sched-
ules comparable with those Of the
two most prominent lines in the
United States. This demand is re-
inforced by the fact that the Royal
Dutch Airlines are reported to have
placed an order for 10 Douglas air
liners.
The relative inferiority of British
commercial aviation is not due to the
inferiority of the aircraft industry. II
is due to the conservative attitude OF
the government toward the subject
camille shipping has been undermined
by the adoption Of shipping subsidies
by other countries. so British achieve
ments in commercial aviation have
been outdistanced by rivals who have
had the benefit of much more sub
stantial assistance from the state.
In this connection 1t is pointed out
that the director of postal service ir
the United States recently stated that
the loss to the United States Post
ONCE on the airmail services was
nearly 25.000,000 a year. Another
important factor in the comparison IL
that the cost Of fuel in the United
States is from one-quarter to one.
third of the cost that prevails on the
British Empire routes.
Hitherto the government policy has
compelled the Imperial Airways Co.
which Is the only important pur-
chaser of commercial aircraft in Grea
Britain, to seek the most economical
type of machine and to offer its pas
sengers safety and high degree o.
comfort instead of maximum speed
But the effect of this, as the air ract
showed, has been to leave British
commercial aviation completely out
classed.
What is to be done about It? L
Britain to accept a permanently In.
ferior status in the air?
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