Evening star., 1938-12-25
Aviotion's Rise May Bring
Shift in Weather Bureau
Comdr. ReicheIderfer's
Appointment Revives
Debated Question

appointment kevives
Debated Question
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Transfer Of the United States
Weather Bureau from the Agricul-
ture Department to the new Civil
Aeronautics Authority or. to the pro-
posed Department of Transporta-
ton. should proposed Federal reor-
ganization legislation be enacted by
Congress. may be requested of the
National Legislature during its COM
ing session.
The proposed transfer, long
recommended by aviation groups
and such unbiased organizations as
the Brookings Institution, is recog-
milton of the fact that development
Of modern air transportation and,
to a lesser degree, land transporta-
ton, has directed the focal point Of
weather information service away
from agriculture.
The needs Of the farmer for
weather information, the primary
consideration at the time the infant
weather service was transferred
from the Army Signal Corps to the
Department of Agriculture, have be-
come of secondary consideration to
the needs of modern transportation
for more highly specialized weather
service than ever has been provided.
Special Needs of Mariner.
While weather information also Is
of primary concern to the mariner,
the development of special marine
weather information which would be
of general benefit to such an Or
ganization. for example, as the Navy
would depend upon creation of a
thoroughly organized international
weather observation service, with
fixed stations at sea, it is believed
This is beyond the scope of the
United States Weather Bureau as
now constituted.
France, however, during the past
year has stationed a meteorological
ship midway between Bermuda and
the Azores. The regular observations
thus made possible have been the
basis OF more accurate weather fore
casts for the Atlantic areas than
have hitherto been possible and have
indicated the desirability Of an in
ternational system of such stations
in hNfI
cific.
The appointment by President
Roosevelt of Comdr. Francis W.
Relchelderfer, terna 10 n ally
known Navy aerological expert. as
chief of the Weather Bureau, effec-
tive January l. has served to re-
awaken speculation as to the ulti-
mate fate Of the Weather Bureau.
One OF the strongest advocates of
Comdr, Reichelderfer's appointment,
1t is understood, was Edward J.,
Noble. chairman of the Civil Aero
nautics Authority.
appointment Widely Acclaimed.
Comdr. Reichelderfers appoint
ment is being acclaimed generally
by officers of the military service.
civil and military air services and
personnel of the Weather Bureau
itself. He is famous not only in
Europe and the United States as a
meteorologist but combines with this
a keen specialized knowledge of the
requirements of aviation and of the
military services. He is both an air
plane and an airship pilot.
The proposed transfer of the
Weather Bureau to a Federal
agency which would enable it to
serve directly the needs of aviation
is not new. In 1884 the Federal
Aviation Commission recommended
to Congress that the Weather Bu-
reau be transferred to the Com
merce Department, which then con-
tanned the Bureau of Air Com
merce.
1t was pointed out by the Brook
lngs Institution in report to Con-
gress last year that the Weather
Bureau circulates its meteorological
information relating to industry and
agriculture through commercial
communication; that the Bureau of
Air Commerce distributed much of
the same information for aeronauti-
cal purposes. and that the Weather
Bureaus best connections with
new developments in meteorological
method come through commerce and
aeronautics rather than through
agriculture
The institution in its report to
the Senate Reorganization Commit
tee expressed the belief that the
Weather Bureau, because of the re-
lationship of its functions to navi-
cation, air commerce and business
generally. as well as to agriculture.
might perhaps be better located
within the Department of Com
merce or in separate transporta-
ton agency. should one be estab-
lished."
AT the time the Weather Bureau
was established" the institution re-
ported, Its principal service was to
the farmers. With the development
of refrigerator cars, of air COM
merce, of notorious transportation
and the tremendous use of the high
ways by motor vehicles, the services
this bureau can perform are of much
greater aid today to commerce and
transportation in its various forms
than to agriculture.
The Brookings Institution con-
CURED with the Federal Aviation
Commission in recommending that
the Weather Bureau be trans
ferred to the Commerce Depart