The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-10
ARMY A|RMEN
Modified TO
CARRY MAIL
Private Firms Map Fight
Against Cancellation of
u. S. Contracts.
BIZ United Press


WASHINGTON, Feb 10. -
Weapons of war were turned to the
pursuits of peace today as the army
air service was modified to carry
the nations airmail.
kilograms of protest arrived al
the White House from air mail
operators whose mail carrying con-
tracts were abruptly cancelled by
President RoSevelt's order. Hints Of
a fight to the finish" came to the
capital from the headquarters OF
several air lines.
The 1900 planes of the naton'S
fighting force were detailed to take
over the mail service on Feb. 10, I'M
der executive order of President
Roosevelt.
In the emergency created by can
collation. of the contracts, the PreSi-
dent directed war secretary George
Dern to place at the disposal of the
postoffice department sufficient
planes, ports and personnel to main
tain the necessary service.
Alleged Fraud Blamed
Abrogation of contracts with pri-
vate carriers was based on Suspi-
cion of fraud during the Hoover
administration when the contracts
were negotiated. The President,
Postmaster-Gener James A. Farley
and Attorney General Homer S.
Cummings decided on cancellation
after reviewing evidence of a senate
investigation committee.
The administration action led to
the belief that the carrying of the
alrmail was doomed as a private
industry and that it would be con-
verified into a government service.
This prompted quick inquiries from
leaders of the vast aeronautical
business. The White House was uYl-
prepared to answer them at once.
The aviation men indicated they in
tended to wage protective fight
for their field.
The air crops stood ready to
throw all its resources in men and
machines into the emergency task
of carrying the mail. One of the
first considera tions of General
Douglas Mac Arthur, chief of staff,
and General Benjamin Foulois,
chief of the air corps, was that no
regular airmail pilot should lose his
job.
General Macarthur praised the
men who have flown the mail over
the country's $1,000 miles of air.
mail lines through rain and sun,
snow and wind, squalls and calm,
during the years when the air mail
was the mainstay in the develop
ment OF commercial aviation in the
United States.
Old Pilots to Stay
The air corps has a force of be-
tween 1900 and 1900 seasoned fly
ing men who could qualify in a
pinch to carry the mail, General
Macarthur said. But the first con-
sideration will be to keep in service
the regular air mail pilots.
Most regular air mail pilots hold
commissions as reserve officers in
the air corps, and any of those who
lose a job because of cancellation
of the mail contracts will be called
into active service in the air corps
to carry the mail.
Some way also will be found to
utilize the services of mail pilots
who are not reserve officers, if they
lose their present jobs, the chief of
staff said.
Postmaster General Farley said
the order annulling the existing
mail contracts was issued after
careful and deliberate study of the
entire situation and that the cab
met considered the matter before
the President issued his order.
The Presidents statement was
more drastic than had been ex-
pected. 1t said the public interest
required both the continuance of
the airmail service and the cancel
1ation of the contracts.