Evening star., 1943-05-16
Gift of Craft to Plane Lines
Marks Airnnoi Anniversary
300 Leaders Of Aviation Industry Celebrate
First Carriers Ascent Here in 1918

Six cargo planes have been re-
leased as birthday gift" to the
country's airlines by the War De-
partment, Postmaster General Walk
r announced at the 25th anniversary
dinner OF the start of air-mail serv-
ice in the United States last night
at the National Airport.
Nearly 800 aviation leaders in the
Federal Government, Army, Navy
and commercial airlines, attended
the banquet which commemorated
the ascent of the first United States
mail plane from East Potomac Park
May Is, 1918.
The War Department has notified
me that six cargo planes will be re-
leased to the air lines within about
go days to relieve the shortage of
air mail planes" Mr. Walker an
nounced. More will be available
later in the year. Most of you know
that half the planes in commercial
service were taken over last year
by the armed forces Probably most
OF you don't know that with half
the planes, the air mail service has
been carrying almost double the
volume of mail that it carried year
ago"
Future of Aviation Discussed.
CThe Army Communicated 1873
planes from the airlines' pre-
Pearl Harbor fleet of 324. leaving
them only l66 planes with which
to carry mail. express cargo and
assengers.-Editor)
The Postmaster General dis
eussed six-hour transatlantic
flights and plans for floating mid
ocean airports.
The service will continue to face
problems; some of them are now
in the making" he said. Inter
national air mail will develop to
unheard-of distances and volume.
World wide service on the scale
that is coming will be, fundamen-
tally, difficult of solution. but the
air mail service eXcels in solving
difficult problems. I know that air
mail will go on to future of which
no man now can even dream"
In a letter of greeting read by
Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones,
President Roosevelt stated:
1T was my privilege to be pres
ent 25 years ago today when an
other war president, Woodrow Will
son, dispatched the first air mail
from Potomac Park in Washington.
Those of us who were there
hoped that the development of air
mail would also mean the develop
ment of commercial aviation, but
none of us imagined that either the
air-mail service or commercial avia-
ton would develop as fast as it has.
Rapid Expansion Cited.
1T is difficult to visualize the
rapid expansion which has resulted
from that initial airmail fight. The
growth of air transport before the
war was phenomenal, and it has be-
come necessary adjunct of our
war effort. The science of commu-
nlcation has developed in many
ways, but the ability to move men
and materials to any part of the
world in hours, rather than weeks
and months. is vital 10 our mill
tary strategy.
1t has enabled the Allied Nations
to keep the closest sort of personal
contact among the commanders of
armies thousands of miles apart. 1t
has speeded the delivery. both at
home and abroad, of essential war
materials.
Commercial aviation has sur
rendered many of its peacetime
rights to the necessity of war, and
In doing so has made a great ma
tional contribution.
With the dawn of peace, COM
mercial aviation will have new and
greater opportunities for which it
will be all the better prepared by
reason Of the training and expe-
rience it is now getting.
will you and the Postmaster
General please be good enough to
express to the industry on this OBJ
servance Of the twenty-fifth ami
VerSarV of the air ,,,ail tho oM,r,,;,