Evening star., 1943-10-18
Peace and the Air

The problem OF international air
control illustrates in a most striking
I manner that the establishment of a
system Of world collaboration or COL
lective security will be not only es-
sential but immensely difficult as
we'll.
In the immediate future, as soon
as the shooting stops, there will al
most certainly be vast development
OF trans-continental and trans
oceanic traffic in the skies, with
Britain and the United States in all
probability taking the lead, to be
followed later by the Netherlands,
Russia and other members of the
United Nations with a special interest
in promoting their civil aviation
services wherever possible.
Taking cognizance of this, and
aware that British and American
air transport will undoubtedly be in
the forefront at least during the first
years Of the next peace, an unofficial
committee Of Britons, representing
federated industries and chambers
Of commerce, proposes that an inter
national authority be created to set
up and supervise an orderly proceed
ure for world air operations among
the nations most concerned. This
would embrace such matters as es-
tabllShing yardStick of competition
mutually acceptable to the airlines
of Britain, the United States and
other powers, reciprocal use Of bases
in all flight areas, standardization of
rules and qualifications for pilots Of
every nationality, and general agree
ments among the different countries
for unimpeded transit through the
air space they control over their ter
ritories.
American experts, no less than the
British, are giving the fullest thought
to this problem, realizing that it will
be one Of the thorniest in the post
war period. From both viewpoints
that Of Britain and the United
States-the main task will be to keep
the international air transport busi-
ness in the hands of private enter
prise and yet at the same time work
out lntergovernmental controls, con-
cesSions and a mutually of interests
that will avert subsidized cutthroat
competition between one country
and another and assure a reasonably
free flow of sky traffic all over the
world.
Some Of the problems within this
parent problem are complex and
technical in the extreme Freedom
of the skies, for example, is quite a
bit different from freedom of the
seas. The latter grants to peaceful
ships the right to move unmolested
in waters beyond the territorial
limits fixed off the shores of any
land. But there is no such thing-at
least none yet established-aS a ter
ritorial limit to the air space above
nations, for every country. no matter
how small. has assumed sovereign
rights that reach as high as the
heavens hanging over it's soil
The complexity Of the problem is
further demonstrated by such ques-
tions as these: If nations yield some
of their sovereignty in the air, how
can they protect themselves against
possible warlike abuses by foreign
powers? How can an equitable dis
tribution of nonmilitary air strength
be effected among them? How can
private airlines remain truly indie
pendent and private if they are sub
jected to international control?
The questions serve to show that
it will probably not be easy to attain
an arrangement satisfactory to the
many countries concerned. Yet, in
view of the fact that sky transporta-
ton will be one of the greatest and
most far-reaching developments of
the future, world collaboration of
unique kind will be necessary to
avoid dangerous frictions in that
field. The problem is in this sense
key to the next peace, because if
matter so complex can be, settled,
then other problems of the postwar
years ought not to be too difficult to
solve. And conversely, if we fail to
make the ocean of the air" friend
ly and cooperative concourse, there
will be little ground on which to
support the promotion of a lasting
system of international comfy. The
prospect is one that challenges the
wisdom and vision of all men and
nations of good will.