Evening star., 1940-11-28
1947 Saturation Point
Al Washington S New
Airport Forecast
Society Of Engineers Told
Lack Of Fields May
lmmobiIize Air Fleet

Point, will become saturated with
traffic by 1897. Capt. Leroy l.. Odell.
engineer consultant for Pan Ameri-
can Airways, told the Washington
Society of Engineers at the 35th
annual banquet in the Mayfiower
Hotel.
Within 10 years air passenger
traffic in the United States will ex-
ceed 8,000,0OO,0OO passenger miles,
while aircraft will have changed
to such degree as to render obso-
lete the most advanced types avail
able today. the engineer who pio-
neered in Pan Americans air route
to China told nearly 200 society
members and their guests.
Emphasizing that commercial air.
port standards are definitely needed
for effective and sustained" mill
tary flying, Capt. Odell called for
a broad program of military airport
construction to meet the growing
demands of our expanding air
force.
Sees Air Force ImmObilized.
"It appears that only through
such program will we be able
to avoid situation amounting to
practical immohilization of our
great new air arm through con-
gestion induced by its own num-
bers," he declared.
He pointed out that Germany,
even with additional airfields con-
trolled in conquered countries, can
not put more than 1000 planes in
the air at one time, "notwith-
standing their reputed air fleet of
several times that number" Great
Britain, he said, cannot launch more
than 1000 airplanes for action at
one time. regardless of the num-
ber of ships in its air force"
Airport design. therefore, should
provide for the coming of the great
ships of tomorrow, he said, adding,
Let us plan so that our fixed air.
port Constructions will not become
economic barriers to the advance
ment of aviation"
The combined program envisaged
for the future would embrace thou
sands of airports and demand an
expenditure running well into ST.
o00,000,000, Capt. Odell predicted.
Such plans, if well co-ordinated, he
believes, are fully justified by COM
mercial aspects alone.
British Learn From Enemy.
He also pointed out that Great
Brltain's record in air fighting rests
largely upon the fact that her best
aircraft were conceived with the
advantages of a few short months
OF study after those available to the
enemy were designed.
Dictator countries possess no supe-
riority over the democracies in their
chronological and research powers,
DR.. Chalmers j. Mackenzie, acting
president of the Canadian National
Research Council, told the engi-
neers.
Picturing complete teamwork" In
all phases of Canadas war effort.
DR.. Mackenzie declared the effective
research of civilian and service
technicians and engineers during
the years after the last war was
Canada's great strength today.
without them we would have
been done in," he added.
He predicted that Canada would
be completely expanded in all her
war efforts within nine months and
that the dominion was now building
everything but battleships" toward
bringing the war to a successful
close for Great Britain.
155 Vessels in Navy.
The Canadian Navy, he said. now
numbers 155 vessels with 1900 Of
fcers, as compared with only a
handful of ships before the last war.
approximately $4,000 Canadian
troops are now overseas, he added.
Pointing out that modern warfare
Is essentially an engineering prob
lem, he declared: You can't prepare
for defense in Canada without pre-
pairing for war"
A motion picture of Canada's war
preparations was shown through the
courtesy of the Canadian Legation
at the conclusion of DR.. MacKen-
ZleS address.
Guests of honor included Rear
Admiral Leo o. Colbert, head of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey: Rear
Admiral Russell R. Waesche. COM
mandant of the Coast Guard; Col.
Donald H. Connolly, Civil Aero
nautics Authority administrator:
Prof. H. S. Jacoby, professor emeri-
tus OF Cornell University; Rear Ad-
mlral Harvey F. Johnson, engineer
in chief of the Coast Guard, and ].
F. Coleman, past president of the
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Clay L. Jennison, president of the
washington society, acted as toast
master. Entertainment was fur
niShed by the CHEVY Chase Chantars