The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-01
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
By JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, March 31.-Note to Juan
Trippe; Here's an inside story you ought to
know.
Commercial aviation people in Washington
are saying that the one big reason England Is
making so much fuss about the United States
continuance of weather broadcasts in the south
ern Atlantic is not fear Germany will profit
by the news-but their grim determination to
hold your Pan-American Anyways back While
their competitive hands are tied by the war.
They even say that all that mail trouble at
Bermuda was just one more effort to make
your eastward mop an obstacle race.
They point to the British Lions squawk at
our putting coast-guard weather observation
ships directly under your route to Horta after
you had been driven off the landing rights
they had granted you in Bermuda.
And they point to the Allies distress at con.
tinuance of weather breakfasts from Horta,
Italy, Spain and Portugal-information that
couldn't possibly be a military secret.
Once Upon a Time
England certainly has some historic prece.
dents to worry about. In the 40 years that fol-
lowed 1920, American clippers stole a march
on world shipping that made the sea-going Eng.
lish seasick.
Those old clippers, for which your modern
ships are named, Mr.. Trippe, used to make five
trips over thousands of miles Of ocean while
the British were making four.
The Sea WITCH" 81 days out of New York.
around the Horn, locked at San Francisco, a
trip that never had been made in less than
$50 days. The lightning" logged 436 miles
in one day and knocked all other speed records
into a cooked hat.
1t took a Civil war and the advent of steam
to break the back of American supremacy of
the seas. You can bet any Britisher who knows
his maritime history hasn't forgotten now.
II If n wonder then that the British are
looking on the achievements Of these modern
clippers, and feeling pretty green? Britannia
may rule the waves but it looks now as if, be.
fore this war is over, Americas rule OF the
transoceanic airways will be so firmly estab'
lished that no competitor ever will be able to
catch up.
Subsidy Shows Profit
Look at the ground that's already covered.
The Pacific clippers making flights continually,
pushing out to the Philippines, Australia and
Hongkong. And the Civil Aeronautics Authority
here tells me that, before long, the clippers will
be dropping down on the coast of New Zealand.
Just the other day, at LaGuardia field in
New York, the clippers celebrated their 135th
transatlantic crossing-without a single acci-
dent. They've carried thousands OF passengers
and tons of maii-so much mail, in fact, hat
what started out as a government subsidy has
turned into a beauty Of a little profit for Mr..
James A. Farley's department.
All the United States transoceanic airlines
need now is more ships. The South American
service and the short-hop lines are pretty well
supplied but the transoceanic service is accom-.
plishing it's amazing feats, I hear, with only
six big clippers. Two giant strato-clippers are
on the way but they'll be a year or SO In the
building. That's just a hint of how long it will
take foreign competitors to get started after
the war.
Of course, you know all that, Mr.. Trippe-
and knowing all that, it isn't surprising, is it,
that the commercial aviation folks here in
Washington are finding good reason for Brit.
aims kicking up such a fuss about those wealth.
err broadcasts?