Evening star., 1940-07-29
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Aviation Editor.

By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Aviation Editor.
RIO DE JANE1Ro, Brazil By
AirmaiD Long an international
battle-ground for air transport su-
premacy, with geography which
lends itself to aviation development
bn a tremendous scale, Brazil, in
Pm effort to gain control OF an in
dustry which may prove vital to
her safety and that of the Western
Hemisphere, Is taking steps which
within q year will eliminate the
last German Nazi airman from the
national air transport picture.
Under national legislation which
Is intended by 194l to replace with
Brazilian-born pilots and crew men,
bers every foreign-born airman, even
though he may have taksn out
naturalization papers, on every air
transport line operating within the
borders of the country. Brazil now
Is completing the naturalization Of
It's air transport industry.
Similar action has been taken in
Colombia, which recently replaced
with native airmen every foreigner
on its domestic air transport routes
IN both nations. a leading role III
bringing about the naturalization
of the domestic airlines has been
taken by the United States inter-
national air transport system oper-
sting through all the Latin Ameri-
can republics The local subsidiary
routes of Pan-American hirVays,
bothin Colombia and Brazil, were
voluntarily placed on national
basis long in advance OF national
legislation requiring such action.
Disturbing Situation Created.
One disturbing situation has been
created in Brazil by nationalizatio.1
of the Colombian airlines. Many
of the German pilots and crew men,
.bers of the former pioneer German
Scadta system in Colombia. dis
charged and replaced by Colombian
pilots. have moved into Southeast
ern Colombia near the Brazilian
border, fled homestead claims un-
der the national laws and settled
down in the high country which
forms the watershed between the
Magdalena River of Colombia and
the great Amazon River system.
They have obtained permission to
carry on private air transport opera
tions to connect the new area of
colonization with the outside world
and have cleared and laid out air
ports which are within 700 miles of
the Panama Canal.
In view of the current excitement
over fifth column" activities in va
rious parts of South America, alarm
has been expressed in military and
offtcial circles over this new situa-
ton in Colombia, because of the
strategical location of the new-Ayw
ing fields within easy flying range
of the Panama Canal, which is
regarded as the backbone of the
American defense system
There have BEEN reports that the
airports constructed in this area
are much larger and more elaborate
than would be required for simple
transport operations to connect a
relatively small colonial development
with the outside world, though no
off1cial figures have been made
public on the size of the projects.
1t has been argued that such fields,
In the hands of an air power inimical
to the United States and it's friendly
neighbors in Central and South
America, might prove a grave threat
to American security.
Commercial aviation in Brazil be-
gan in June, 1927, with the creation
in the southernmost state, Rio
Grande 90 Sui, of an airline. purely
local in character, known as EN-
presa de Viacao Aerea Rio Grand
ense, or "Varig" for short. BY No
vember Of that year the first inter-
national service came into exist
ence with the extension of service
from Southern Brazil to Buenos
Aires by the Compagnie Generate
dEnterprises Aeronautiques, q
French enterprise which was known
as "Lienes Latecoere."
Germany in the Picture.
In December, 1927, Germany came
anto the Brazilian picture, estab-
fishing under Brazilian laws the
Sindicato Condor Limitada, which in
1928 started airline service between
Rio de Janeiro and Porto Allegro,
a distance of 878 miles, using Ger
man seaplanes. Service was EXTEND
ed from Rio to Natal. 1456 miles,
in February, 1880, also with sea-
planes, and inland. from Corumba
to Cuiaba, in Western Brazil, with
landplanes, in September, 1880.
The United States first entered
the Brazilian aviation field in 1880,
when the international New York,
Rio & Buenos Aires System, now a
part OF Pan-American Always. was
organized, with Nyrba do Brasil
S.A. as its domestic operating agent
within Brazil. Nyrba do Brasil later
was changed legally to Panair do
Brasil, which operates as unit OF
the Pan-American Airways system.
During 1884 German aviation
made decided gains in Brazil, with
the establishment of Zeppelin air.
ship service across the South At
lantic to an airship terminal built
by Brazil near Rio de Janeiro; a
later contract with Deutsche
Lufthansa for transatlantic service
by seaplanes and catapult ships;
the extension of service by Sindi-
cato Condor to Buenos Aires and
with the establishment OF weekly
Condor service from Sac Paulo to
Cuiaba by way Of Corumba, dis
tance Of 1853 miles.
During the same year there was
established the present Viacao Aerea
Sac Paulo or Wasp" service to oper-
ate two lines from Sac Paulo into
~. Dre i,,fn -