Evening star., 1942-05-15
Roosevelt Stresses
Transport Plane Need
As Air War Spreads
Revelation Of Increased
Fighting Follows Order
To Take Over AirIines

Declaring that more and more
transport planes are needed,
President Roosevelt told a press
conference today that we are get
ting into actual fighting more
and more and at more places all
the time.
The Chief Executive spoke Of in
creased American fighting in various
parts of the world during a discus
sion of his order permitting the
War Department to take over con-
troll of all the planes Of commercial
air lines.
We need all the planes Of every
kind, anything that will fly, Mr..
Roosevelt said.
Air mail service probably will be
affected by the curtailment of COM
mercial air travel. the President
said. adding he thought the country
could get along without as much air
mail as it has now. He recalled
that not so long ago we did not have
air mail service, and that not so
long ago We did not have the COM
mercial air travel facilities we have
today
The President saw no reason for
limiting coach travel on trains at
this time.
The President said II persons
came to see him in one week on
non-Government and non-war busi-
ness, and that seven of them came
by plane. This was not necessary,
he said
He said he thought there would
be natural curtailment of travel
as the result of the great number
of people in war work occupation.
The War Department, acting on
structions of the President, an
nounced last night the Army
would take over operation OF 80 or
more of the airliners, while ap-
proximately 10 others will be con-
verted into cargo carriers, to be op-
Grated by airline personnel for the
military.
The remaining planes, about half
of those now in service, will continue
commercial schedules for the time
being but will be considered always
available for emergency military
missions"
Air travel vital to the country's
needs will continue, subject to a
strict system of priorities," the an
nouncement said. All persons who
can travel by train are to do so eX-
cept in real emergencies.
Order Comes as a Surprise.
officials said the sweeping order,
which caught congressional and
commercial airline circles by sur
prise, was in effect a substitute for
the arrangement worked out
month ago under which only about
one-fourth of the commercial planes
were to be diverted to war use.
Expressing "amazement" at the
announcement, which gave no effec-
tive date, Representative Nichols,
Democrat, of Oklahoma, chairman
of a special House committee inves-
tigating commercial aviation, said:
This is a complete reversal Of
the announced intention of the War
Department. I only hope it does not
destroy the greatest commercial air.
line system in the world"
Representative Nichols. who left
last night for Salt Lake City to join
two of his colleagues in an investi-
cation of crashes in Utah and Wyo-
ming, said if the Army actually
takes over all transport planes he
saw little use of his committee
continuing to hammer away at the
airlines to keep safety standards up"
Although unwilling to be quoted,
representatives of some Of the air.
lines said the step was unexpected,
although negotiations with airline
officials have been proceeding for
weeks.
The department, in announcing
the Is per cent diversion on April u,
said at that time "it is not presently
intended to make further reduc-
tions" in the civil airline equipment.
Last nights statement said "all
routes and services not regarded as
essential to the war program will
be terminated"
While airmail will continue to be
carried over remaining routes, it
was added that "it may become nee
esssry to curtail this service more
at later date" Priorities for pas
senger travel, in effect for months,
will be made stricter. Even members
Of the armed forces or persons
engaged in war work will not be
guaranteed seats.