Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09

PLAN Els OF THE FUTURE
American Factories Developing Sky Giants That Will Garry More
People More Miles and Help Maintain u s. Supremacy
in Commercial Aviation.
By Alice Rogers Hager.

YOHLD supremacy OF Amerl-
M can aircraft has become
I. " " such an accepted fact that
the recent efforts OF other
nations to make their own place In
the sun has practically. passed un-
noticed In this country. Yet, although
our. ships and engines are flying in
every part Of the globe, although our
total aeronautical exports for 1886,
as reported by the Bureau of Air Com
merce, were over $4,000, 900, and al
though the standard of our product
is beyond cavil in the first rank, seri-
Gus competition from abroad is ahead,
aviation authorities agree. The ire
mendous increase in the export figure,
almost five and half million dollars
greater than in any previous year. is
marred by certain prophetic facts,
among which the most significant
are Britain's building program, with
particular reference to transatlantic
service, and the virtual loss Of three
OF our former and principal markets.
With their own factories now at large
production, Germany bought only two
planes from us, Russia one and Italy
one during the past year.
1t Is not, however, a discouragins
factor. only . warning one. Because
Of military urgencies, nearly all other
major countries and some minor ones
are heavily Substituting their factories,
which leaves much Of their commercial
need to be filled by us, as well as the
excess of fighting planes over what
they can build themselves. It is to the
honor Of American pluck apd tnven-
ton that under its power it has kept
at the head Of the procession.
And both that pluck and that in
genuity are aware Of what must be
done to stay there. While the rest
of the world shakes a mailed fist in
the skies, our factory drawing boards
are receiving the ink lines of new and
holder models, our research institu-
tons explore balance and drag and a
thousand other technical details in
wind tunnel and compression chamber,
and in the air above secluded fields
test pilots zoom and power dive until
the final Government word Is passed
that the bugs" are out and another
ship takes its place on the lines.
IT is not only from q dollars and
cents standpoint that the inpor-
lance Of aviation supremacy looms in
world affairs, nor even from military
one. Jobs for hungry men and women
are involved; smoke for factory CHM
neys, more comfort and mental secur-
ity for your home and mine. a world
frontier for children now growing up.
Look at map Of international air
routes as they are at present-cast
your imagination ahead five years,
ten, remembering that passenger evia-
ton in the United States is just 10
years old, and the distance it has come
in that decade. Visualize what that
next decade will bring, with science
probing farther into the unknown
than ever before. Trade still follows
the flag, but now that banner whips
invisibly from the nose of giant air
clipper or swings from the undercar-
riage of Hindenburg. What was
once imperialism in the old phrase
becomes tomorrow the arterial sys-
tenn Of a world that is finding its way
into the future. And of the whole
we will be part. How important q
part, how powerfully our national
impulses will flow along those arteries
depends on what we do today. Whether
it is our living boats that continue to