Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-14
Air Rules
Postwar Commerce
Presents Problem
Continued From Page CID

the best developed system on the
European continent. French air.
lines operated over 26,216 route miles
through 26 foreign countries, and
British airlines, apart from the vast
air system linking the Empire, en-
braced 1852 route miles through "a
foreign countries. The Netherlands
had 1892 route miles covering 20
foreign nations.
In Congress the real spadework on
postwar air problems is being done
by a subcommittee on aviation of
the Senate Commerce Committee,
headed by Senator Bennett C. Clark,
Democrat, of Missouri, whose men,
bers have been informed in detail of
all aviation discussions by the State
Department. Six months ago the
committee started executive session
hearings that are still in progress.
A confidential report drafted by a
overnmen interdepartmental
group of air experts was submitted
to Clark's committee.
recommendations Important.
Neither the Senate subcommittee
nor the interdepartmental group, of
which Berle is chairman, has made
the report public, but its recon-
mendations are considered OF first
Importance, indicating this country's
official line of thinking on air ques-
tons.
Berries committee, it will be re-
called, urged the establishment of
an international organization to
regulate postwar global aviation;
creation of a United Nations airport
authority to finance and operate
airports of special international sig
nificance; warned against United
States ownership of airlines, and
suggested that as many multilateral
agreements as possible be negotiated
with foreign countries for reciprocal
rights of transit and technical stop
(refueling and servicing).
One controversy raging behind the
wings in the Capitol revolves around
the ACCESSIBILITY of having this coun-
| try designate a particular private
airline company as its chosen in
strument" in international transport,
or permitting the various domestic
lines to branch out in competition
abroad. This picture was infused
with a new overcast on March 20
when Senator McCarran, Democrat,
of Nevada, author of the Civil Aero
nautics Act of 1888, introduced a
bill that would project an entirely
revolutionary design for American
commercial flying in the interna-
tional field.
The McCarran bill stated frankly
that one of its purposes was to "as-
sure for the United States world
leadership in aviation" The meas
ure would establish a single Amer
lean carrier for foreign service in
the form of a billion-do corpora
ton, to be called 1.-THE American
Flag Line"
Voting stock of 200 million dollars
in the corporation would be appor-
toned among subscribing American
carriers, but no participant could
hold more than so million dollars in
stock, and none less than five million.
Eligibility of the airlines to buy into
the corporation would be determined
by the CAB.
Airlines Oppose Plan.
The proposal provoked immediate
opposition from the Airlines Com
mite for United States Air Policy,
representing II domestic air COM
Ipanies pledged to a policy of open
competition in foreign countries.
The committe said, in part: THE
proposed legislation would destroy
the very principles that have built
this great air transport system that
has proved so valuable in war That
system was built on the traditional
American policy of competition, in
diligently regulated by appropriate
agencies"
Presumably these lines fear that
the Pan American Anyways, which
held virtual monopoly of American
foreign air transport before the war,
could dominate the "All-American
Flag Line" with its power to pur-
chase huge bloc of the stock. They
are suspicious of any "chosen-in-
strument" policy, however modified.
War Ended Program.
Before the outbreak of the war,
there were definite indications that
the United States was veering to-
ward the admission Of competition
in foreign transport. American Ex-
port Air Lines were given the green
signal for negotiation Of an agree
ment with Italy for service to that
country, but the war ended that.
American Export next tried
Portugal, but found itself blocked by
Pan Americans earlier agreement
with the Lisbon government. At
length, in June, 1912, it was granted
an American permit to fly to Foynes,
Fire.
Summing up the postwar air pros
lpect, experts agree that the compli-
cations are immense, both as to
rivalries with other nations and
sword-crossing between the Ameri-
can airlines. But regardless of the
vexing problems that must be met,
they are confident that the day is
drawing near when all important
points on the globe will be reached
from New York within "a hours,
when a substratosphere airliner,
starting from Eastern cities, will
have within its 18-hour range any
point In South America, any city In
Europe, Africa as far as Cairo and
even Irkutsk in Siberia.
printed by Special Advancement with the
ST: Louis PoSt-Dispatch)
equal" treaties on which Chiano