Evening star., 1934-02-12

ton without just trial" was before
President Roosevelt TODAY
Col. Lindbergh. a pioneer airnail
Hyer' toid the President in a tele-
gram that the condemnation of
commercial aviation by the cancella-
ton OF all mail contracts and the use
OF the Army on commercial air lines
VIII unnecessarily and greatly dam
age all American aviation"
No one can rightfully object to
drastic action being taken,r the tele-
gram said, provided the guilt i'm
pied is first established, but it is the
right Of any American individual or
organization to receive fair trial.
Your present action does not dis
crlminate between innocence and
guilt and places no premium on
honest business"
Flew on First Line.
Col. Lindbergh few the airmail be-
tween st. Louis and Chicago in 1926
Tor Robertson Air Lines, the first air
mail line to be flown by a private
contractor. He has been identified
with aviation for the last II wears
and since his famous flight to Paris
m 1927 has devoted virtually all his
efforts to the promotion Of flying. He
Is technical adviser to Transconti-
mental & Western Air. one of the
companies whose airmaiI contracts
have been Cancelled by the President.
The telegram was made public bv
Col Henry Breckenridge, Lindberghs S
attorney, at the formers ofice
Twenty-four hours before, Richard
W. Robbins. president of Transconti-
mental & Western Air, had fled a
similar protest with President Roose-
welt and with Postmaster General
Farley.
The text of Lindbergh's telegram
to the President follows:
Your action affects fundamentally
the industry to which I have devoted
the last II years of my life. There
fore 1 respectfully present to you the
following consideration:
Urges Just Trial.
THE personal and business lives of
American citizens have been built I'D
around the right Of Just trial before
conviction. Your order of cancella-
ton of all airmail contracts condemns
the largest portion of our CONNER
cial aviation without Just trial.
The officers of a number of the
organizations affected have not been
given the opportunity to a hearing
and improper acts by many companies
affected have not been established.
mo one can rightfully object to
drastic action being taken provided
the guilt implied is first established.
but it is the right of any American
individual or organization to receive
fair trial.
Your present action does not dis
criminate between innocence and guilt
and places no premium on honest
business
Americans have set their lives in
oulloing In this country the finest
commercial air lines in the world,
The United States today is in the
lead in almost every branch of COM
mercia1 aviation.
In America we have commercial
aircraft, engines, equipment and air
lines superior to those of any other
country. The greatest part of this
progress has been brought about
through the airmail. Certainly most
individuals in the industry believe
that this Development has been car
ried en- in cooperation with the
existing Government and according
to law.
If this Is not the case, it seems
the right of the industry and in keep
ing with American tradition that
facts to the contrary be definitely es-
tablished- Unless these facts leave no
alternative. condemnation of COM
mercial aviation by cancellation of all
mail contracts and the use of the
Army on commercial air lines will
unnecessarily and greatly damage all
American aviation"