Evening star., 1934-03-12
Questions Fairness.

It,"
Questions Fairness.
Logan also questioned the fairness
Of a provision which would bar from
bidding companies whose officers had
been connected with allegedly frau
dulent contract awards.
who is going to determine what
was fraudulent" he asked Howes.
Howes answered he presumed"
such decision would be left to the
Postmaster General.
DO you think it is wise to punish
the innocent stockholders in an air
plane company because some agent it
may have selected was held guilty of
fraud?" Logan asked.
The answer was lost in general COM
mittee discussion.
Meanwhile, Chairman Rogers of the
House committee investigating army
airplane contracts in a statement de-
MED an assertion by former Senator
Hiram Bingham, president of the Ma
tional Aeronautical Association, that
the air mail service was transferred
to the Army Air Corps without assur-
ance that the Army could do the job.
Rogers made public testimony
given before his committee on March
l ny Maj. Gen. Foulois. in which
he said he had assured the Post
Office Department at conference
on February 9 that the Air Corps
was sufficiently trained and equipped
to carry the mail
The United Aircraft data fur
nished by Whitney gave the name of
Building, Washington" as a short
seller of 200 shares.
She is secretary to Representative
Edmiston, Democrat, of West Vir-
ginia.
Gen. Foulois had under prepara-
ton a plan by which Army flyers
could join with commercial pilots in
receiving training The step follows
suggestion by President Roosevelt
that because military lessons have
been taught us during the last few
weeks" Army aviators should train
with those who later on will fly the
mail" in might flying. blind flying
and instrument flying"
falllly pldllS llS IcNlScu
safety" route with the transcon-
tinental line from Newark, N. j., to
San Francisco as main line"
Other routes will feed into it. Some
night flying will be allowed, but the
number of trips on all schedules prob
ably will be reduced.
The ban against mail flying made
1t almost if not the first time in more
than decade that some mail has
not been carried off the ground in the
course of a day.
Lindbergh Speculation.
Speculation continued about what
part if any Col. Charles A. Lindbergh
would play in the Governments air.
mail plans. After a two-day visit
here, which included several talks
with Secretary Dern, he flew back to
Newark, N. j., with Mrs. Lindbergh
yesterday.
One bit of discussion, however, was
definitely brought to an end. 1t was
said authoritatively that the assistant
secretaryships for air in the Army
and Navy Departments, which have
been vacant since the Hoover admin
tstration, would remain untitled.
There had been talk that Lindbergh
might be offered one of these posts
The House recently added $4,000 to
the Army appropriation bill to revive
the War Department Office if the
President desired such a move.
Debate May Be Long.
How long the Senate and House
airmail bill hearings will run was un-
certain. Chairman McKellar said the
consideration of the Senate commit
tee was expected to consume consid-
cradle time
Private companies whose contracts
have been Cancelled, and others in
terested in the airmail picture, will
be allowed to present their views to
the Senate group after the appear
ance of Government officials. Groups
with common interests, McKellar
said, would be asked to combine their
representation so as to permit the
reporting of the bill at the earliest
possible moment.
Strong opposition is expected from
private aviation interests to the pro-
visions of the bill which require di-
vorcement Of air transport and manu-
featuring activities, prohibit inter-
locking directorates and intercorpor-
ate Affiliations in general.
Compliance with these clauses would
result in the dismemberment of the
three large systems formerly holding
transcontinental contracts.
Bingham Asks Probe.
Bingham last night issued state
ment in which he demanded a full
investigation of Army airnail ac-
tivities
Bingham demanded to know whom
the President had consulted before
canceling contracts and turning the
airmail over to the Army.
THE action he (Roosevelt) took
was taken apparently without advice
from those most familiar with the
training and equipment Of the Air
Corps" Bingham asserted. "Its train
ing was devoted exclusively to military
and not to commercial flying. It's
equipment was untitled for mail car
riage. The sad results are obvious.
Let us have the truth in this matter
Let the President say who gave him
that erroneous definite assurance that
tic Army could carry tn mail"