Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-26
j. ). Aviation Leader,
Urge Quick Draft Of
Postwar Air Policy
Planning Now Preferred
To Waiting Until Just
Before Peace PorIey

Nv" 'S'Si'SS
To Waiting Until Just
Before Peace PorIey
b. the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. April 26.-American
civil aviation leaders are seeking to
expedite formation of a national air
policy under which United States
passenger and cargo planes could
take off on 10000 miles of war-born
international air routes with the
worlds biggest sky fleet when peace
comes.
What they actually want is a pre-
view of the postwar outlook for
such things as international landing
fields. Government controls, and en-
idea as to what they must anticipate
in putting flesh on the skeleton of
their visionary plans.
They're afraid the last few weeks
before peace conference might be
too late to begin international con-
versations, or to make studies lead
Ing to formulation of definite
American governmental policy re-
garding world air traffic.
This country'S concentration on
producing bombers and other air
craft capable of long flights with
heavy loads has given the United
States mastery of such types, avia-
ton technicians assert.
Planning in Capital Lays.
Right now, of course, and for the
duration, the airships which carried
mail, express and passengers be-
tween San Francisco and Hong
Kong, New York and Lisbon, are
hylng over the 10000 miles of Army
Air Transport Command routes
the air highways that flyers hope
will be theirs in the future.
Aviation's future is so broad, and
Its requirements so intricate, indus
try leaders contend, that few lay
men can understand its ramifca-
tons well enough to create such
q policy without careful study.
AL of us can dream our dreams. -
one industry expert said this week,
and some of those dreams will come
true. But without a national air
policy we haven't leg to stand on
Some aviation executives believe
that air-policy planning has tended
to stagnate in Washington because
of a desire by both the legislative
and executive branches for power
to make final decisions.
Whatever the reason, they saw
little has been heard on the matter
since President Roosevelt in Janu-
airy appointed an interdepartmental
committee on international civil
aviation.
so far as we know" one industry
spokesman declared, no civil avia-
ton operator or technician has been
called into conference on the terms
OF Americas future air policy"
Present Picture Is Given.
Here's the present picture as air.
men see it, and on which they base
their demands for definition of free
dom OF the air, an outline of NATIONAL
sovereignty rights and from which
they make their optimistic predic-
tons of the future of air transport
The Army Air Transport Com
mand, flying commercial transport
jobs, and the Navy are carrying ma
terials and supplies to almost every
country in the world except enemy
territory.
This United States force is flying
more ton-miles each month than all
United States airlines together
managed per year before the war,
and Maj. Gen. Harold L. George,
ATC chief, estimates this will be
expanded eight times before the end
Of 1913.
Competition from the formerly
powerful German, Dutch and
French airlines has vanished, the
British overseas airways is handi-
capped by lack of new equipment,
while Russian activity apparently is
light.
The air experts point out that this
leaves the United States in front as
far as production. route mileage and
commercial potentialties are con-
The equipment and many of the
"old hands" of such companies as
Pan American Always, American
Airlines, Transcontinental-W Western
Air, United Airlines, Eastern Air
lines, Northwest Always, Braniff
Anyways, Northeast Always, Cons
airways and American Export Lines
are now travelling all over the
world.
Canada First with Policy.
These American companies, who
IN peacetime laid the groundwork
for this wartime achievement, are
expected to seek a share of inter-
national commerce after the war.
First in the field with a statement
OF national policy, however. was
Canada. Prime Minister Mackenzie
King pointed out that Canada has
a geographical position (the polar
short cut to Europe that will enable
It to play an important part in the