Evening star., 1939-10-15


Air Station here during ptstt.
Facing greatly increased international
transportation demands Is . result Of
the European war, the United States
foreign air transport system has UNDER
taken an emergency expansion program
which is expected to establish firmly
American leadership In this vital field
for years to come.
Taking advantage Of An emergency
situation which has arisen In Central
and South America Is . result Of war
curtailment of German and French air
transport services there, Pan-American
Always, now the worlds greatest in
ternational air transport system, has
ordered a long-range program Of ex-
pansion which Is planned eventually to
result in 48-hour day and night service
between the United States and Buenos
Aires.
The expansion of service under the
United States flag In South and Central
America is step toward what. If the
war continues, may become an eclipse
of European air transport rivalry among
the Americas. This rivalry, especially
on the part of Germany during the past
few years, was becoming 80 keen - to
constitute q serious threat not only to
American air transport supremacy, but
to American trade and economic rela-
tionships with the Latin republics. The
Civil Aeronautics Authority had char
acterized the growth Of Nad aeronauti-
cal activity In South and Central
America as the most serious existing
threat to this country's aeronautical and
economic standing in the American
Hemisphere. Concern also had been ex-
pressed ofncially rs to the effect Of in
creasing foreign aeronautical activities
in South America on the military Sc
curity of the new world in case Of
emergency.
$s,ooo,ooo Order.
To meet the changing situation as a
result Of the war and to put this country
in a position of leadership from which
it probably will not be dislodeed for
decades, at least, Pan-American Airways
has opened its expansion program by
signing orders for more than $4,000. .O00
worth Of new aircraft, constituting the
largest single purchase of commercial
aircraft in history.
One order calls for six Boeing super
clippers which are expected to be even
larger and more advanced than the
Yankee Clipper and her five sister ships
which today are the largest heavier
than-air flying machines in the world
Ten DC-3 Douglas 21-passenger air.
liners, to be equipped with new Pratt
and Whitney 1200-horsepower engines,
have been ordered for Pan American
overland routes through the Americas
and three more, with an option for 4
fourth, have been ordered for the Pan
American-Grace Anyways routes on
South Americas west coast.
The operating plans also call for an
additional 81 000, 900 worth of equipment,
already under contract, including three
Boeing B-307-s four-engined sub
stratosphere type transport airliners
with supercharged cabins.
The feet of IL giant Boeing Clippers
will be used to standardize service on the
three ocean trade routes now under the
United States flag-the north Pacific to
the Philippines and the Orient, the
North Atlantic to Europe and the south
Pacific to New Zealand Plans for the
latter route are temporarily being held
in allegiance because of the war situa-
ton, since success of the system prob
ably will depend upon the projected
British operation Of connecting air
service from Sydney, Australia, to New
Zealand.
Three Years Of Planning.
Plans for a decided expansion Of our
foreign flag air service have been in proc
ess of development, with the encourage
ment Of the Civil Aeronautics Author
ity and the State and Commerce De-
partments, for more than three years
to meet the growing threat Of foreign
aeronautical domination On the essential
American trade routes.
These plans ware given Q anal tsa-
petus hv the outbreak e the EWepea1