Evening star., 1934-04-20
BIDS ON A|RMA|[
STARTL|NCLY LOW
Less Than Fifth of Rates
Formerly Paid by Postal
Department.

The lowest bids ever received for
carrying airmail in the United States
startled postal officials and the Ma
tion's air transport operators today
as the Post Office Department began
opening bids for three months tenn
porary airmail contracts.
There were eXclamations and whis-
ties of surprise from a jammed crowd
Of aviation leaders as the bidding
dropped below 20 cents per airplane
mile, less than fifth of rates form
erly paid and far below the minimum
amount on which it was thought a
few months ago that an airline could
exist
picture Being Redrawn."
1t became apparent on the face of
the early bids that a complete re-
drawing of the Nations airmail pic
ture was in progress. with many OF
the old air transport lines going down
to defeat before 'unknowns" in a
savage battle for the new airmaiI
contracts.
The scene as the bids were opened
was one of the most dramatic in
recent airmail history. More than
100 representatives Of competing
companies, some of which were
destined TO go into oblivion and others
to rise to power under the new Post
Office Department procedure, occu-
pied every inch of space in the big
Office of Stephen A Cisler, general
SIInorinfenda1t nf
airmail services.
Companies Represented.
Among those present, in addition
to Postmaster General Farley and all
the heads of the Post Office Depart
ment, were representatives of all the
present air transport companies in
the country, a number of hastily or
ganized new companies. flying schools
which have been reorganized into
airlines. and former aviation officials
who have sought in vain in the past
to get airmail contracts.
Col L. H. Britten, who passed out
OF the airmail picture following his
sentence to Jail for contempt of the
Senate, was there, together with Ernest
Breech, president of North American
Aviation; C. w. Cuthell, president of
Transcontinental & Western Air; Les
ter D. Seymour, president of American
Airways; Clarence Chamberlin, trans
atlantic flyer. and others.
Meantime, while the Senate was
getting ready to debate the airmail
bill which would provide for Con-
gressional Commission to study the
whole aviation situation, Senator
Black. Democrat of Alabama, an
nounced that officers of the Interna-
tional Mercantile Marine Corporation
would be summoned soon for ques-
tioning by his Investigating Com
mittee.
Newspaper Clipping Read.
Discussion of the International
Marine came up in the Senate after
Senator Robinson, Republican of In
diana. had read a newspaper clipping
charging that Kermit Roosevelt. who
was on the Astor yacht Nourmahal
with President Roosevelt recently, had
received radiograms from the steam
ship company giving him instructions
as to what to tell the President.
Answering a question by Robinson,
Black said he would be glad to call
Kermit Roosevelt, who is vice preSi-
dent of the line, or Astor, whom Rob-
inson called a large stockholder, and
permit the Indiana Senator to ques-
ton them.
Robinson asked Black if it were
true that the committee had copies
of the messages purported to have
been sent to Kermit Roosevelt. Black
die not answer the question directly,