Evening star., 1937-03-14

F1aRg and Schroeder apparently
into any hasty decision As to the new.
set-up. Nor, it is becoming apparent,
do they believe in change for the sake
Of change. Rather, 1t is believed, what
ever further reorganization may come
will be made only because it Is the
sincere opinion of the new leaders that
1t is necessary to easy and eficient op-
Grafton.
Though Fagg and Schroeder have
been IN ONCE but two weeks since the
swift upheaval which came with the
resignation Of former director Eugene
L. Vidal, there already is a noticeable
improvement in morale among the
employees OF the bureau. For four years
the employees have been divided, most
OF them very unwillingly, into political
factions because Of the nature of the
previous set-up. Today they are be-
ginning to feel and to function as
team.
Blame for the muddled condition
which has existed has not been fixed
officially probably it never will be.
AAAe oPNS4di oClidGN
which for more than a year investi-
gated the bureau and its deeds and
mSdeeds reported, with rather a
lamentable virulence, that in its opin-
ion the trouble was not due so much
to individual ambitions as to the un-
satisfactory and unworkable set-up.
The cause, however, no longer is CT
has been remedied.
There is today a direct chain of
responsibility in the Bureau Of Air
Commerce. which was not the case
before. The results, so far as an
outside observer can determine, al
ready are happy.
Most important point to be deter
mined, from the standpoint OF or
ganization, is whether the regulations
division and the air navigation divi-
sion, each formerly under an assistant
director, are to be continued as dis
tinct units or are to be merged, IN
whole or part. Fagg has indicated
he believes there Is possibility OF
merger, but that he is not yet COM
mitted to any plan. There will be
no change until the whole question
has been studied and the functioning
Of every unit of both divisions has
been determined, by itself and as a
unit of q team
A merger of the two units undoubt-
edly would result In rather important
organizational changes both in Wash
lngton and in the field. This does
not, however, necessarily imply further
personnel changes
There appears to be considerable
justification for the belief that hap
pier days have dawned for the Bureau
OF Air Commerce. This means that
better days are here also for the whole
American aviation industry. Although
American aviation has forged ahead
in almost every phase during the past
two years. there is no doubt that
it has been handicapped by the un-
happy situation which has existed Ill
Washington. With conditions here
improved, the industry is looking
ahead to even better times.
PILOT members Of the Washington
Air Derby Association will hold
an aerial weasel hunt" Sunday after
noon, April 2l, as the opening flying
event Of the season. The hunt will
start from Capitol Airport at 1870 p m.
and will be open to licensed pilots
and student pilots. All classes of air
planes will be eligible.
"A weasel of the flying species" :"
it was explained by ]. Earl Steinhauer,
association president. lis a carnivorous
contraption with short legs and long
body. having sufficient wing area to
carry it from place to place"
The pilot who takes the part of
the weasel will be given a start of is
minutes on the competing pilots who
act as hunters. The weasel will be
permitted to hide at any airport
in or near Washington and to put his
airplane in hangar. He can hide
himself anywhere on the airport.
Hunters must locate and actually
touch the weasel pilot" The weasel
is required to sign his name and the
time upon the hunters identification
card and the hunter then goes back
to the starting point, the winner
II the weasel has been in hiding