Evening star., 1939-05-28

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oceans and double line sho1ps 5000
With the establishment of air trans
port service across the North Atlantic,
after 10 years of pioneering effort there
has come into existence an unbroken
chain of air transport service around the
world
The route flown, ranging from the
tropics high into the temperate zone,
has length almost exactly equal to
the earth's circumference at the equator
$4,000 miles. OF this total. $4,000
miles-more than half of the entire
world routes operated by Pan-Ameri-
can Airways under the United States
flag and another 5000 miles by the
domestic transcontinental air transport
service.
The remaining 5000 miles of the
world -girdling service is operated by I'm
perial Airways Of Great Britain and Air
France between Marseille, France, and
Hong Kong, China.
During the summer Imperial Airways
will join with Pan-American in the
operation Of alternate schedules across
the North Atlantic, after somewhat the
same plan that has been in effect for two
years between the United States and
Bermuda.
The fact that 1t is an American airline
which has first opened scheduled air
transport service across the North At
lantic is perhaps the greatest world
triumph in history for American air
transportation, exceeding in importance
even the magnificent feat Of bridging
the vastly greater Pacific by air.
Richest World Trade Route.
The North Atlantic is undoubtedly the
richest trade route international air
transportation can tap. The stream of
traffic between the United States and
Europe is the largest and most valuable
on any world trade route. 1t is the
worlds blue ribbon route and the air
service operating over it cannot avoid
being pre-eminently the worlds inter-
national show case" service. adding
enormously to the prestige Of the nation
whose flag is carried.
Steamship officials long have been
keenly awake to the value of leadership
on the North Atlantic route 10 the whole
shipping of their nation. 1t has been
pointed out that travel and shipping
habits fixed on the North Atlantic are
reflected in traffic and cargo lists half
q world away. A new Atlantic record
is worth two of any other in building
national prestige and morale. This is the
reason behind such economically un-
sound giants as the Queen Mary, the
Normandie, the Europa and the Rex.
Exactly the same situation governs
the development of air transport service
across the North Atlantic. The course
Of the next few years on the skyway
between the United States and Europe
may fix for decades to come the tradi-
tions of leadership on this supreme trade
route of international air commerce.
For this reason, the ability of United
States air transportation to get the
Jump on the world in establishing North
Atlantic service is a real triumph, the
importance of which is difficult to esti-
mate.
Merely = Head Start.
1t would be mistake, however, to be-
lieve that merely getting of to the first
start is winning the battle in CONNER
cial air supremacy in the North Atlantic.
Whatever lead this country may pile up
within the next few months is certain
to be challenged vigorously as other ma
tions approach the Inauguration of rival
services under their own flags.
North Atlantic aerial competition is
certain to be more complicated than the
merchant marine struggle which has
been in progress for two centuries in
this ocean. The rules are different.
The high seas are free to the peace time
commerce of all nations. International
rights of way in the air, however, are
not free. Rights to operate to a nations
ports or across its territory and to main
tain and use air base facilities on foreign
soil are recognized as the basic control
ling factor in the development of inter-
national air transportation.
The nations Of Europe for two decades
have used their full diplomatic facilities
to win privileges sbroad for their subsi-
died international air carriers. The
United States on the other hand, has
left It's privately -owned and operated in
ternational air transportation service to
shift for itself in gaining the interna-
tional concessions indispensable to its
being, until within the past three years.
1t has only been since 1896 that the
United States Government has taken
any ofacial action to safeguard the posi-.
ton ct American air transportation,