Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-10-21


transport planes are spanning the
oceans, carrying mail, bringing back
some of the critically wounded and
carrying small but important car
goes of precious materials.
The job being performed by the
civilian airline companies through
out the world is amazing in its
scope. Had it not been for the
preparations made through COM
mercial flying, the bringing together
of the fartheSt points of this global
war in days and hours, rather than
in weeks or months, never would
have been possible.
For military reasons, it cannot be
disclosed how many trips daily are
flown to Britain or to Australia or
to African ports. But the frequency
of such journeys is such that the
skies are filled with American trans
port planes that used to carry pas
sengers hundreds of thousands of
miles in every direction inside the
continental United States and to
neighboring countries.
Under Civilian Personnel.
Gen. Harold L. George of the
Army Air Forces directs this vast
operation in what is known as the
Air Transport Command. But the
Government has very sensibly not
attempted to duplicate the civilian
job with military pilots and has
kept the whole system under civilian
personnel, with the Army working
In close cooperation at every point.
1t is not generally known, but the
airplane companies have banded to-
gether to set up the Airlines War
Training Institute which co-ordi-
mates the work of personnel procure
ment and trains thousands of new
pilots and members of the fight
crews and thousands of new me-
chanics and workers. Repair, main
tenance, seryicing Of all planes go
on through a mammoth organiza-
ton which works on military and
naval planes as we'll as cargo planes.
Americas airplane organization in
the passenger and transport field
was the largest in the world be-
fore the war. 1t will be the largest
after the war. 1t has met already
a challenge in cargo carrying which
is a source of wonder. The same
planes, better serviced, b etter
manned and better handled, now
carry more cargoes and operate on
longer and more difficult schedules
than ever before.
Military secrecy requires silence
still, but it can be readily inferred
that only because of the pioneer
work done by the airlines to Alaska
can that important theater of OPP
erations for both our Army and Navy
be serviced today and communica-
tions kept open to every point. The
battle of Midway is history but some
day the part played by American
airlines in the servicing of our Army
and Navy units will be revealed.
1t is a task that has been taken
for granted by the public. Thus it
is announced that certain officials
move from one area in the global
war to another in quick time. What.
Is not known is the amount of prepa
ration involved by way Of weather
information, service or repair work
at intermediate bases.
Developed In Peacetime.
without air routes and air sta
lions located in isolate points on
the earth's surface this war could
not be fought as effectively by our
armed forces as 1t is today. The
simple task of communication, viz
tually insignificant so far as the
use of the transport plane was con-
cerned in the last war, has &C
CELEBRATED the whole military and
naval operation.
ears Oh ptdCtllIlic u aiming lldNe
enabled the air carriers to do a
clocklike job in the great emer-
gency. The Government has wisely
drawn on the "know-how" of the
private airline companies and,
despite the fact that the alrlines
have been compelled to contribute
large numbers of their personnel
to the military ard naval services,
the air carrier organizations are do
ing an even bigger job than in
.eacetime. And they are not In any
sense neglecting safety require
ments, because, considering the i'm
portant missions, safety is even
more necessary than before.
America can we'll be proud of
what her railroads have done in
carrying troops and freight, what