Evening star., 1934-03-27
BIDS ON A|RMA|L
BY PRIVATE LINES
PLANNEDAT ONCE
Roosevelt to Turn Trans
portation Over as Soon
as Possible.
POST OFFICE OFFICIALS
ASKED TO MAKE PLANS
Methods of Restoring Service
Withheld Pending Later
Conference.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt intends to per-
nit immediate bidding by private
lines for airmail service and to turn
airmail transportation over to them
as soon as possible.
He called in officials of the Post
ONCE Department today to arrange
for bids to serve during a temporary
period before permanent legislation Is
enacted.
Methods of restoring the airmail
pending q conference called for later
today.
Takes Action Before Trip.
Mr.. Roosevelt arranged for this ac-
ton on the eve Of his departure from
the Capital for Today vacation in
southern waters.
Meanwhile, opposition to the Shep-
pard bill to subsidize civil aviation
training and equipment development
was expressed before the Senate Com
nerce Committee by the War and
Navy Departments, while the Com
merce Department countered with in
dorsement Of its purpose.
The bill would authorize the appro-
priation Of 81 500, 900 annually to pay
Is per cent of the cost Of instruction
at private fields and total Of l,000,-
900 to be expended in encouraging
new aircraft design.
Aircraft produced would be Of
practically no value" for national de-
fense. the Navy Department said in
q letter to the committee.
Flight training Of civilians would be
of some advantage to the Govern
ment in war, it continued, but more
valuable results would be made pos
sible by training larger numbers Of
Naval Reserve aviators under existing
law.
Orders Not Sent Out.
At the War Department it was said
that no orders of any kind concern
ing the airmail have been sent out.
Mr.. Roosevelt's plans for seeking
temporary bids for airmail transpor-
tation we're known, it was said, but
until definite contracts and arrange
ments have been made there will be
no changes in the Army airmail set-up.
Until the President has definitely
announced new contracts, the Army
Air Corps will continue carrying the
mail over the present routes and on
the present schedules.
A letter from the department
agreed that civilian flying would
shorten the period of Army training
necessary, but said it would offer an
advantage to persons who could afford
to pay for private instruction in speci-
flying that holders of Department of
Commerce licenses should be given
preference in entrance to the Army
Air Corps.
Appropriations insufficient.
The War Department said at pres
ent the Army Air Corps could not
obtain enough appropriation to satisfy
its own requirements. and as long as
this deficiency existed it saw no rea-
son for spending money for secondary
purposes.
Eugene L. Vidal, director of aero
nautics of the Department of Com
merce, and Col. ]. Carroll Cone, as
sistant director. Endorsed the aims OF
the bill without approving its specific
provisions.
Cone. asserting that private flying
training would die out without help.
said such preparation had equipped
the worlds greatest flyers. He men
toned Wiley Post, Charles A. Lind
bergh and Jimmie Wedell
Hiram w. Bingham, former United
States Senator and now president Of
the National Aeronautical Association,
urged favorable action on the bill,
saying his organization was in hearty
sympathy" with it.
p. o. Officials Silent.
Post Office Department officials re-
fused comment on the Presidents an
nouncement, explaining that details
probably would be made available
after a White House conference
scheduled for this afternoon.
Postmaster General Farley and his
aides assembled data concerning routes
Continued on Page 2, Column 81