Evening star., 1941-02-24

mail subsidy contract Tor a new
entrant into the field Of tranS-At-
lantic flying, declaring that dis
tasteful as monopoly may be under
ordinary conditions, the fact remains
that our foreign air operation is a
monopoly" and that second carrier
would greatly increase the burden
of the Treasury of the United
States"
Presently a Senate subcommittee
on appropriations is to consider the
same subject. The battle behind the
scenes between the two big COM
panies - Pan American AirwayS,
which enjoys the present monopoly,
and the American Export Lines,
which wants to break in-is likely
to develop into one of the most in
teresting debates on the whole sub
ject Of transatlantic flying that
the Nation has witnessed.
In the middle of it all, and with
ont mentioning the commercial dis
pute as such because he was discuss
ing the whole transatlantic flying
problem in terms of national de-
fense, Col. Edgar S. Gorrell, who was
chief of staff of the A. E. F. air serv-
ice in the last war, has just made
an interesting speech in which he
says:
Whether our next war Is an Allied
war, or whether we fight alone,
however, there is one difficulty we
will be bound to face if we fight
abroad. We had it aplenty in
World War l. That is the difficulty
of communicating - exactly and
beyond any mistake-between the
fighting front and the home front.
often in World War l I longed
for Just few minutes face to face
with my alter ego in the United
States. Dependence upon the writ
ten word, either by mail or cable, is
at best a poor substitute for talk
when something must be explained
and in war, with so much depend
ing upon time, with misunderstand-
ing meaning death and destruction,
it is too often tragic. Not even the
telephone can accomplish the results
served by an on-the-spot explana-
ton.
'I have mentioned the importance
10 the engineer of transoceanlc air
services that can bring him fire.
uuently to the front to see what his
problem really is. Not only for the
engineer, but for all others con-
cerned with the war as well, trans
oceanic passenger service by air,
swift and sure, promises enormous
aid in assuring coordination and
understanding.
No Time to Lose.
Those services should be available
at least once or twice daily, IN TACT
as abundantly as possible, to all key
points. And they should be built up
in peace time-ahead of time. War
leaves so little time to get things
done. Let us build now, and build
In quantity, four-engine airplanes
that can fly the ocean nonstop.
There is not moment to lose"
The American Export Lines has
already spent $2,000,00O on three big
Sikorsky planes and has been carry
ing on survey flights for several
months, arguing that the Atlantic
can be spanned by a nonstop
schedule and that there is plenty OF
business for two companies.
Harlee, Branch, chairman OF the
Civil Aeronautics Board, who favors
competition, said, in testifying be-
fore the House subcommittee
1.-The experience in the trans
Atlantic service of Pan-American
Airways has more than proved the
soundness of the boards views when
1t granted Pan-American a certif1-
cate; because Pan-American is max
ing money, business has increased,
even under war conditions, and the
company is not able to carry all of
the passengers seeking tranSporta-
ton at the present time. We had
an oral argument day or two ago,
and Mr.. Friendly, representing Pam
American, in answer to question,
said the company had approx
mately 100 to $50 persons in Por-
tugal waiting to obtain passage to
the United States on Pan-American
aircraft"
The whole subject of whether to
establish a monopoly or grant a
license to a competitor was the sub
ject of extensive hearings for 10
weeks by the Civil Aeronautics Board
and then the matter was studied for
six months before the board ruled in
favor of granting American Export
its license. The action of a sub
committee of the House in over
ruling the board and the President
has touched off the whole contro-
versy again, and it appears that
Congress, which holds the purse
strings, will have to settle it after
all.
Fear Ruinous Competition.
The Pan-American Airways view
Is that because transoceanic air
service touches foreign countries it
should be monopoly, that British
and other countries have established
such monopolies and that competi-
ton would be wasteful, If not ruin
Gus. Likewise Pan-American is
promising more frequent schedules
the moment passenger conditions
permit 1t. Likewise it Is contended
that foreign countries can play one
American company against the
other to the disadvantage of Amer
ica's position. The Pan-American
contention, moreover, is that hav-
ing pioneered in the transoceanic
field, it Is entitled to a certain
amount Of protection against COM
petition, at least until 1t has safe
guarded its investment and can
operate without Government sub
sidy.
The answer made by the American
Export people Is that If a monopoly
Is intended as In other countries,
then the way is opened for the ex-
tfnction Of private enterprise and
the entrance Of Government
operated lines. Also 1t is urged