Evening star., 1934-02-10
ROOSEVELT ORDER
STUNS A|RMEN
Local Transport Employees
Are BeWiIdered Over
Severity.

Local air transport employees are
stunned at the severity Of the presi-
Dental order carfceling airmail con-
tracts and Army Air Corps officers are
almost as bewildered over the monu-
mental task thrust upon them without
warning of taking over the carrying
OF the airmails.
The burden put upon the Army Il
described as Staggering" Its air.
planes are wholly unsuited to the
carrying of the airmail. The work
probably will have to be done In a
large measure with open cockpit OBJ
servation and bombardment airplanes,
1t was thought probable last night.
These planes, especially the observa-
tlon types, have no proper cargo space
for airmail, which probably will have
TO be piled in sacks in the extra open
cockpits.
Shortage of Pilots.
Even more serious, however. Is the
lack Of pilot personnel trained in air
line work in the Army and the lack of
proper instruments and equipment in
the airplanes for this type of work.
pilots in the entire Army Air Corps
who have had the type Of training
which has been laboriously given the
Nations airmail and passenger pilots
over period Of many years, accord
ing to opinion voiced here in areonau-
teal circles. The difference between
an Army combat flyer and a sched-
uled air transport pilot today might
almost be compared to the difference
between a racing automobile driver
and steam railroad engineer, It was
pointed out.
Transport pilots today, by law, are
highly trained in the use of radio
range beacons, blind flying and vari-
GUS phases of the intricate airline
operation which are no concern of the
Army flyer.
1t was pointed out that there proba-
bly, is not one Army combat airplane
in hundred in the service today
equipped to use the intricate facilities
OF a modern transport airway, nor are
there pilots in the service trained to
use these facilities as the modern air
transport pilots are trained to use
them.
Danger Of Accidents.
Airline employees here were fearful
that if the Army pilots, without the
highly specialized transport training
or equipment, are forced into the
schedules Of the modern transport
lines, the crash rate probably will rise
to the shocking totals of pioneering
days Of the airmail.
Under present economy conditions
applied to the Air Corps. it was
pointed out, the average Army pilot
today is getting less flying time in a
whole year than a busy air transport
pilot piles up in a month.
The Army has insufficient funds
for fuel today to supply the needs of
the regular air transport planes for a
month, it was believed. Very large
emergency appropriations will be re-
quired at once to put the Air Corps
into the airmail business. Immensely
increased fuel purchases must be ar
ranged and, with the tremendously
increased amount of flying time which
will be required. routine overhauls and
repair work probably will necessitate
immediate increases in funds and
personnel at the Army air depots.
Officers May Be Recalled.
Many Air Corps officers now with
c. c. c. companies in the forests
probably will have to be called back
to duty at once, it was believed, and
it was regarded as probable that many
reserve pilots might be called back
to the colors. among them transport
pilots holding reserve commissions.
The first reaction of local air trans
port people to the Presidents order
was a belief that all of the present
airmail companies will 60 to the scrap
heap and that air transportation in
the United States will be set back 10
years to the days when organization
Of the industry was Just beginning.
II don't know what will happen to
! U.s." Jerry ODonovan. local manager
for Pennsylvania Airlines, one of the
Capitals two airmail lines. said. Il
suppose 1t will mean We must go out
Of business There is not enough
profit in the passenger business to
keep the line going"
Local employees Of Eastern Air
Transport. the other local airmail
system, were as much at sea as
ODonovan. Beyond haZarding guess
that they might be permitted to carry
the mail through the night, they had
no idea what would happen.
II guess It's the end Of everything
for us as far as air transportation Is
concerned" cne Of them said.
The effect on Washington Airport
may prove to be as bad as on the air
lines Samuel j. Solomon, manager
of the airport. last night voiced the
opinion that the Army probably will
elect to fly the mail from Boiling
Field rather than from the COM
mercial airport.
The contracts between the three
airlines operating out of Washington
and Washington Airport have only a
few months more to run. The con-
tract of Pennsylvania Airlines ex-
pires April /, that Of American Air
ways on April IS and that Of Eastern
Air Transport May 27.
American Airways carries no mail
out of Washington. 1t now operates
one round trip DAY between Wash
ington and Chicago, carrying passen.
gers only This system, however. is
one of the so-called Big Four" COM
panies which have divided more than
95 per cent of all the airmail trans
portation among them and 1t de-
pends for livelihood very largely upon
airmail.
Pennsylvania Airlines, until recent
ly one Of the few remaining inde-
pendent airlines in the United States,
now operates five round trips daily be-
tween Washington and Cleveland, by
way Of Pittsburgh. 1t is one of the
oldest transport lines in the country
in point of continuous service. having
operated since 1925.
Ten Schedules Daily.
Eastern Air Transport also operates
10 schedules a day through Wash
ington. five in each direction, connect
ing 26 cities along the Atlantic sea-
board between New York and Miami
A year ago it absorbed the Ludington