Evening star., 1934-03-13
Continued From First Page.)


Final consideration is not expected
before Thursday at the earliest. The
emergency bill provides funds for
Army airmail operations. Efforts to
add to it provisions authorizing tenn
porary private contracts are sure to
draw considerable fire.
Post Office officials settled one
point yesterday that had been in
temporary cOntrOversy-the matter OF
who reported the Army ready to fly
the mails when the private contracts
were Cancelled
Branch said Gen Foulois, chief of
the Air Corps, had given this assur-
ance.
We allowed the time the Army
wanted for preparation in making
the cancellation effective" added
Postmaster General Farley.
List Of CurtaiIed Schedules.
A list of the curtailed schedules
which the Army will fly. as made
public by Post Office officials late
yesterday, includes:
Boston to New York; New York to
San Franciso, via Chicago and Salt
Lake City: New York to Jacksonville;
Washington to Atlanta: Chicago to
Dallas. via Kansas City and St. Louis
Salt Lake to Seattle: Salt Lake to
San Diego, via Los Angeles; Cheyenne
to Denver. and Chicago to ST. Paul.
This is about IS per cent of the
mileage being flown when the COM
mercial contracts were annulled.
The Post Office statement in the
controversy over whether the Army
was consulted before the Postmaster
General Cancelled the contracts of pri-
vate companies and gave their job to
the service was made by Branch with
Postmaster General Farley sitting by
Branch told newspaper men that
he had consulted Gen Foulois on
February 9-just a few hours before
the contracts were canceled-about
the ability of the Army to take over.
Branch said Eugene Vidal, Assistant
Secretary Of Commerce for Aero
nautics. was present and that Vidal
had been called in because the Depart
ment of Commerce is entrusted with
supervision of airways, radio informa-
ton and other ground service.
Foulois Enthusiastic.
Branch asserted that Foulois was
enthusiastic over the suggestion that
the Army carry the mail, commenting
that it would give pilots much needed
experience. The assistant Postmaster
General said he submitted the pro-
posed schedule of operations later in
the day to the head of the Army Air
Corps and that Gen. Foulois said he
thought that the Army could take over
in about 10 days
I'VE allowed the time the Army
wanted for preparation in making the
cancellation effective" Farley COM
mented.
Branch said he carried the informa-
ton given him by Foulois to the
President, but did not know whether
Mr.. Roosevelt had other information
Branch said that his statement
about the circumstances under which
the task of mail carrying was turned
over to the Army was not a criticism
of Foulois or the service.
Safety First Consideration.
He said the general sent out sew
eral orders telling his subordinates
the safety was the first consideration,
and added that he believed a COM
blnation of bad weather and the dar-
ing Of the Army flyers we're principal
factors in the accidents.
The Army has never said that it
was unequal to the task of mail car
rying," he said, "and I don't think it
would now"
The discussion over whether the
Army had been consulted before it
was told to carry the mails began
through statement by Hiram Bing-
ham. president of the National Aero
nautical Association. that he under
stood the service had been given no
notification.
A Republican Senator, who did not
permit use of his name. said testi-
mony had been heard before a Sem
ate committee that Gen. Douglas Nc
Arthur, Army chief of staff. did not
know until he received the President s
order that the service had the mail
routes to fly.
Branch said he did not know
whether Macarthur was so informed
before the contracts were Cancelled.
President Roosevelt had a luncheon
conference today with William
Mitchell. former assistant chief of the
Army Air Corps and severe critic of
the Army Air Service. Presumably
the service was up for discussion in
connection with its handling of the
airmail service.
There have been reports of the pos
sible resignation of Gen. Foulois as
chief of the Air Corps. but at the
White House it was stated there was
no foundation for these rumors.