Evening star., 1939-01-08

Canadian Airline Sir.
Fight by Plea 10 Put
Route Over Maine
State Battles U. S. on
Jurisdiction, but Air
Law Not Real Issue

The right Of State to the owner
ship of its own air. as against the
rights OF the United States to con-
troll of all air-space navigation priv
ileges where international matters
are concerned, is due for a hearing
within the next few days when the
Civil Aeronautics Authority issues
its brief on the question of the
issuance of permit to Trans
Canada Airways to operate across
the State of Maine nonstop from
Megantic, Quebec Province, to Bliss
vile, New Brunswick. ~.
Maine has contended, through her
representatives in Congress and her
Governor, that the Civil Aeronautics
Authority cannot issue the trans
State permit without first consulting
the State government. It bases its
case on two points-firsts, the clause
in the c. A. A. Act which says, mo
foreign aircraft shall engage in air
commerce otherwise than between
any State, Territory or possession
of the United States or the District
of Columbia and a foreign country"
The second point was Names
stand that such right to consulta-
ton had already been established by
the State Department when Canada
requested permission a short time
before to have her aerial police fly
over certain parts of Maine when
conditions required.
Air Law Not Real Issue.
AS this was one of the first prob
lens left on the doorstep of the
infant authority. when it was in
augurated last fall, it made an early
move to grant temporary operating
rights to T. C. A. That was when
Maine made loud protest, so effec-
lively that the authority withdrew
from its stand and promised it would
prepare brief covering all the
points of law involved and that
this brief would be submitted to the
Governor of Maine so he could pre-
pare reply.
The point of air law is not the
real stake at issue, however. Be-
hind it is Names feeling that it
has been badly used in the reciprocal
trade agreements with Canada; that
Canada's subsidized industries are
IN many cases practically putting
some of Names industries out of
business. 1t is known, although not
stated publicly. that the State would
welcome the airline's advent If ar
rangements were made for a stop
within its borders, so that pas
sengers, mail and express could have
access to the lines service and
transfer to other transportation.
From the standpoint of the United
States. the stake is an even bigger
one. The entire relationship be-
tween British air supremacy and
That OF this country Is insthe chess
board status. where every move
made Is done with the players eyes
focused on the ultimate issue, AS
soon as transatlantic service be-
gins this summer, Imperial Airways
will have its round the world line
complete except for the one strate-
gic gap between Vancouver and the
British South Sea possessions. It
cannot close that gap unless it re-
ceives landing rights In Honolulu.
So far, there seems to be little
chance it will receive those rights,
as that would offer direct competi-
ton to Pan-American Always, our
only trans-Paciflc line.
Won't Be Unreasonable.
On the other hand, Pan-Ameri-
can is in the situation of having to
begin its service to Alaska, from
Seattle to Juneau, via the outside
route, over the open sea. Canada
refuses to allow flight inland, which
would be shorter and in many ways
more advantageous until it receives
its quid and pro quo.
Reciprocal rights already exist to
such an extent that no difficulty is
to be found on that score.
Maine, however, feels that in this
interplay of the game on the world
map it cannot afford to sacrifice its
entire interests. and. from present
indications at the C. A. A. Offices
here, it will not be asked to do so.
Senator Wallace H. White of Maine
said:
I'VE are not going to be un-
reasonable. We are merely try
ing to protect ourselves. There is
no real reason why the matter can
not be worked out to everybody's
satisfaction, so long as our primary
right to be consulted and our eco
nomic needs are taken into con-
sideration."
(Copyright 1899. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. IncD