Evening star., 1943-10-05
Airline Group Hits
Proposal 10 Restrict
Atlantic Competition

"A controversy among airline ON
cials over free competition in the
international field continued today
eas criticism mounted over the state
ment yesterday by the president of
United Air Lines that legislation
might be necessary to prevent do
mestic companies from entering in
ternational aviation.
S. J. Solomon, chairman of the
Policy Committee of is domestic
alrllnes, which has urged freedom
OF the air Immediately issued
. statement declaring that the state
ment of W. A. Patterson, United's
president, was unprecedented in
American industrial history" add
ing:
I'VE have never heard of an in
divldual or corporation petition
ing the United States Government
to deny rights to competitors and in
the same breath declare it is going
to seek those rights for itself
Patterson Urged CurbS.
Mr.. Patterson, whose line did not
sign the policy statement, contended
that probable air passenger traffic
across the North Atlantic five wears
from now could be handled bv 43
planes. each capable of carrying 100
passengers. With foreign competi-
ton, he said, the traffic left for
American lines would be small with
the result that domestic lines would
be ruined without subsidies. He
suggested that one or more COM
panies might be designated for such
trade.
Mr. Solomon took issue with Mr..
Patterson's conclusions on trafhc
volume, declaring that his committee
believes travel will exceed any Of
the prophecies yet made"
w. H. Coverdale, president of
American Export Airlines, in a state
ment issued in both Washington and
New York, asserted that his COM
pany was "unalterably opposed to
the thesis Of MONOPOLY adding that,
our country is just too big for such
system"
Has Ocean Franchise.
Some aviation sources viewed the
American Export stand as one eX-
pressed with tongue in cheek. 1t
was pointed out that American Ex-
port and Pan American now have
certificates Of the Civil Aeronautics
Board for flights to Europe, the most
heavily travelled international route.
In granting routes. CAB gives con-
Sideratlon to the economic effect of
adding carriers on runs between
terminal points.
The most heavily travelled air
route in the world. between New
York and Washington is served by
only two airlines. The second
busiest. from New York to Boston. is
served by but one. Washington av-
lation circles say, therefore, that If
CAB will not certify more carriers
on those routes. it certainly will not
do so on the long transatlantic run.
Discussion of international air
transport has been going at lively
pace since President Roosevelt, at
a press conference Friday, said that
he and Prime Minister Churchill
were agreed on freedom Of the air
after the war.
COverdale Sees L. S. Ownership.
American Export. before the war,
received CAB certificates authoriz-
ing it to fly to Portugal and Ireland,
but had not obtained landing rights
from the foreign governments. Pan
American Always is the only Amer
lean company with foreign landing
rights Some of those now are being
used by other companies, including
American Export.
1T is my earnest belief Mr.. Cow
erdale said. that the United States
will get out Of postwar aviation Just
what its Government and the public
are willing to put into it.
Regulated competition, as op-
posed to monopoly, combined with
private ownership and with adequate
Government and public support will
enable United States aviation to Sc
cure for America its rightful share
Of the air commerce Of the world in
the postwar period"
MI Coverdale predicted the fos-
terlng Of monopoly would almost
certainly result in Government own
ershin "