The Omaha guide., 1934-03-31

nighlights
Happenings That Effect the Dinner
Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax
Bills Of Every Individual. National
and International Problems Insep-
arabic From Local Welfare

viii you please issue immediate
orders to the Army Air Corps stopp-
ing all carrying of airmail except on
such routes, under such weather eon-
ditions and under such equipment and
personel conditions as will insure
against constant recurrence of
fatal accidents"
This, appearing over the potent
signature of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
caused one of the most remarkable
happenings of recent years. Without
notice, an entire nations airmail
servlee-built up laboriously, at i'm
mense expense in men and machines
and money and time-came to a full
stop. The Army, pridefuI of its abili-
ty, was Inundated. The public was
a~stounded. And banks and other
businesses, which had come to regard
air-mail delivery as being almost as
certain as that of train mail, found
themselves back in pre-war days so
far as communication was concerned.
The air-mail ENHANCEMENT becomes
increasingly important as time goes
on. 1t isn't only that service is dis
organized-that the companies were
penalized without benefit of a hear
ing-that a dozen or so pilots, one of
whom had flown less than "a hours
in eighteen months, have been killed.
Most observers regard it as the Ad-
ministration's first major mistake. 1t
has caused a fathering of criticism,
much Of it coming from otherwise
friendly quarters, such as no other
act has done.
Bulk of the critism takes the form
of fear of the kind Of despotism that
can abrogate contracts without CON
elusive proof of graft and malfeas-
ance r some other offense against the
public welfare. The thought if freely
expressed that the President was
poorly advised; but that, even so, he
acted much too hastily. The Lind
burgh testimony has cemented this
belief. The Colonel was a frank, dig
nified witness, in refreshing relief to
no. of the other witnesses who have
defended or attacked by name-call-
ing.
So far as the army's ability to
carry the mail is concerned, Mr..
Roosevelt receives little criticism.
Army air chiefs were too sanguine
when they told him that they could
handle it Army training, with stress
laid on formation and combat flying,
is very different from the training
given pilots of private lines. who
must fly long routes under almost
any weather conditions, good, bad or
Indifferent, and who are required to
have far more hours in the air before
being employed, than have most
army pilots. Army ships. ever though
they have been revamped, where never
designed for Iong-haul t~ransporta-
ton.
Upshot of the matter has been
that the Administration has been
forced to back water. The President
wrote Senator Mcclellan, Chairman of
the Committee on Post Offices and
7 pst Roads, said it would be neces-
sary to- make new private contracts
as speedily as possible. Bidding will
be Greatly competitive" and strict
rules will be laid down to prevent air
monopolies, excessive salaries and
unearned bonuses, etc. Interstate
Commerce Commission will have a
voice in making rates.
That is where the issue stands now.
It isn't dead by a long shot. And it
will figure heavily in future political
races.