The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-07

snip? IS the ao- ministration preparing for a lone chosen instrument international aviation policy and trying to put over government-owned airline as the chosen instrument?
 If ATC and MATS have more transport airplanes than they know what to do with, why don't they give them to the commercial air lines and let them haul the passen- gers, either as private business or as contract carriers for the Army or Navy? and so forth.
 These questions involve not only operations of Pan American Airlines and American Export Airlines, who were in the international air bus mess before the war, but also Amer ican, Eastern, Transcontinental, Northwestern, Northeastern, United and other domestic airlines which have done contract ing for Army and Navy during the war and have numerous applications on file and in hearing before the Civil Aero nautics Board to get into the inter- national air transport business as soon as the war is over. NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
 A close checkup with government aviation authorities seems to indi- cate that fears of the commercial air transport interests are ground less. There has been small group of officers in the armed services who would like to see all their experience in flying and operating transport planes for the government made use of in one big postwar airline, but these men are not in the top brack- cts of government aviation control, where all the head men are commit ted to return of air transport to commercial operators at the earliest possible moment.
 The presidential executive order authorizing the ATC and MATS to carry passengers for pay is made necessary by the present military situation and by existing U. s. law which controls licensing of com- mercial air carriers in international service.
 Take the military situation first. Commercial airlines are not author ibzed to operate from most military air bases overseas. Foreign govern ments simply won't let them in. Difficulties of getting commercial plane cleared for entry into many countries are tremendous, though military planes can come right in, and welcome.
 A second point is that the armed services feel they must keep control of all transport planes available, for possible emergency use. This is de- cision with which no civilian can argue.
 Army recently revealed that it had 5000 transport planes in service, including troop carriers and the War Production Board has revealed that over 17,000 new transport planes were manufactured in the three month period July to September. That sounds like lot of planes. Nevertheless, if the Army wanted another big paratroop operation, in- to Germany or Japan, it couldn't have too much equipment.
 PLANES NEEDED
 FOR TRANSPORT
 A third military factor is that sur- face transportation systems of lib- erated countries like France are completely wrecked - rail, motor, inland waterway. Planes thus be- come the only system of transporta- tion that will work.
 On the legal side, there is now only one line authorized by the Civil Aeronautics Board and by Congress to engage in overseas international air transport. The idea of granting temporary permits to other carriers has been blocked by an internal air. lines row, In the meantime, CAB is holding hearings on applications of other companies that want to get into this business. pending decision by Congress on whether this coun- try shall be represented by one chosen instrument carrier or by a number of competing companies. If Congress makes its decision early in the winter, CAB will be ready with its first award in the spring, and it should follow with one decision on each new route, every two months.
 When these awards are made, ATC and MATS should be in a po- sition to turn over to the commer- cial airlines established routes with all facilitates ready for service.
 Finally, the Presidents executive order expires within one year.