Evening star., 1939-12-24
Air Commerce Is Strengthened
BY Dangers Of Warfare on Seas
Demand for Service Finds u S. Leading Wav to
New Routes and Maintaining Contact
With Rest of World
BY Joseph S. Edeerton.

a new but already we'll established and
sound air service. The outbreak of
European hostilities found the United
States with the largest network of aerial
trade routes in the world. Airliners
flying the United States flag were in
operation over. a 650O0-mile system OF
airways which brought the most distant
South American capital and even China
and the Far East as close to our coun-
try as San Francisco was to Washington
at the start of the World War.
OF particular significance, however the
United States had been able to do what
| no other nation had-it had established
and was operating with smooth efficiency
an overnight service across the Atlantic
Ocean. This service, though new, was
sound, with years of experience in the
Caribbean and the Pacific behind it,
with thoroughly trained crews to man
it's giant new, especially designed flying
boats, and with the technique of ocean
operations fully worken out in every
detail
| The difference which the airplane has
made quickly became apparent upon the
outbreak of the war in Europe and the
demands upon the new service mounted
with almost appalling rapidity once the
war got we'll under way and surface
traffic began to suffer. The war con-
verted more people overnight to the use
! of air transportation for personal travel,
for airmail and for business shipments
than traffic departments could have
reached in many months OF hard work.
The demands, not only for business
as usual but for accelerated business to
meet war needs and new world respon-
sibilities, made it imperative that more
and more people employ at once the
new facilities offered by ocean air
transportation. At the same time, how
ever, the war was creating problems
vitally affecting the new international
| flying business.
| New Zealand Line.
The contemplated United States
| New Zealand service, which Is awaiting
sanction of the Civil Aeronautics Au-
thority, would provide four-day service
to the Antipodes, tapping the fourth
most important world market for Amer
| ican commerce Actual mail cargoes
are reported to be piling up for this
service; reservations have been made
as far as three months in advance for
cargo shipments and air express and to
date nearly 200 passengers have applied
for reservations During her recent sur
vey flight over the 160OO-mile route. the
California Clipper carried new person.
mel to island stations along the route.
transported supplies, and made final
check preparatory to the immediate
start of service, as soon as the C. A. A.
clears the way.
On the route to the Philippines and
China the weekly clippers have been
loaded to more than 80 per cent of ca
pacity between San Francisco and Ha-
waii during the last four months and
traffic west of Honolulu has increased
by 100 per cent
On the Atlantic, however, the greatest
changes necessitated by the war have
resulted. 1t became more than ever
necessary to maintain contact with Eu-
rope. Yet, once hostilities were threat
ened air terminals in England and
France had to be discontinued. Pam
American moved its bases to neutral
Ireland and Portugal. Fall weather then
closed the northern route and service
was doubled on the southern, by way
of the Azores to Lisbon. Connecting
European airlines, however, were put out
of commission by the war, carefully built
up weather services were broken up as
result of the effects of war on ship re-
porting stations. Restrictions in travel
requiring six-Week lapse between pass
port applications and approval, reduced
passenger traffic. Neutrality regulations
postponed inaugurat ton of air express
service. There were complications in
the handling, clearance and dispatch
of European mails.
| System of Clearances Devised.
One by one the various problems were
solved by international negotiations and
legislative action. A system of clear
ances was devised to permit the travel
OF approved passengers and totals began
going up until, during the last five weeks,
there has been an average of not more
than one vacant seat per flight on the
transatlantic clipper schedules.
Airmail restrictions cleared, air trans
portation quickly became, the primary
mail medium across the Atlantic. Be-
fore the war the clippers were carrying
400 to 600 pounds of mail per flight.
Today their cargo holds are jammed
with 1000 pounds and more on every
flight. Airmail jumped from 100000
letters a week in August to a present
100000 and more week.
The urgent need for weather informa-
ton is being met by action of the United
States Weather Bureau, now headed by
naval aviation weather expert, Comdr
Francis w. Reichelderfer. Flying
weather stations have been established
on United States ships still operating with
personnel of the Weather Bureau in
charge of reporting.
"All in ALL" it was pointed out, "the
effect of the war on the Atlantic has been
to establish the service firmly in six
months-instead of the many years
which normally might have been re-
quired =. And the result is that
not only is the service doing a swell job
but it is paying its own way as it goes
| g oofo d,