The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-09-20
Observations
Coast to Coast
by Air in Eight
Hours Near


Commercial passenger fights
from coast 10 coast in seven to
eight hours are predicted for the
near future by airline experts. Such
trips may. be made possible by
huge. long.range transport planes
developed under war impetus for
the Army Transport Command and
the Naval Air Transport Service.
Lockheed, Boeing, Consolidated
and others are in the race TO get
their planes into peace-time airline
service as soon as possible. TWA
recently conducted experiments for
the Air Transport Command in the
ooast-to-coast flights using big
Lockheed Consultations for three
weeks over the 2,500-mile route be.
tween Washington and San Fran.
cisco.
The best time achieved was eight
hours and 81 minutes at an aver.
age speed OF 2S9 miles an hour.
Back in April, 1914. a Constella-
ton flew from Burbank, Calf. 10
Washington In just three minutes
less than seven hours.
Both this flight and th5 more re-
cent ones, offering a preview Of
things TO come, were nonstop.
Douglas is entering the race
with its brand new Globemaster,
reported 10 be the largest land
plane in the world. II weighs II
tons and can carry a 30-ton pay
load. Its speed is said 10 be more
than 800 miles an hour.
OFFICERS FAMILIAR with
Army needs enyision a permanent
Army OF 100000 men, although
there Is some doubt whether that
many troops can be obtained with
out conscription, even though 500.-
600 would be little more than a
housekeeping force.
While reserve officers are willing
TO serve in far greater numbers
than are needed after the war, re-
enlistments OF men are expected
TO be few. Probably 100000 en-
listed men couldn't be coaxed into
the Army without some improve
ment in their present status.
The greatest weakness OF the
United States Army is said to be
its lack of future promise for those
who would make IL q career For
instance, most other nations give
corporals and sergeants more pay
and considerable more prerogatives
than the United States does.
Improvement in this respect for
non-commissioned officers, experts
think. would encourage men TO en-
list in the ranks, particularly II
non-com could hope to stay in ser
vice and raise a family. Privates
then could have some hope of work.
ing their way up to corporals and
sergeants and still make a living
for a family.
LABOR CIRCLES are betting on
the AFL to win a bitter fight with
CLIO over which group will repre-
sent this country in the Interna-
tional Labor Office meeting in Paris
next month. President Truman
names the delegates.
Capital observers point out that
the AFL was one OF the original
Truman-for-Vice President groups
at the Chicago Democratic conven-
ton and that this should have en-
deared the older labor organization
TO the President. ClO. on the other
hand, supported Wallace.
Next thought: The Ito appoint
ment has to clear through Secre-
tary OF State Byrnes and the CLIO
bitterly fought Byrnes' candidacy
for the vice presidential nomina.
ton last year.
Owls DEMISE started capital
newsmen recalling many OF the
imprinted, undercover scraps be-
tween federal agencies during the
Information groups stormy exist
ence.
One Of the most intense battles,
although short-lived, was the one
which developed when newspaper
correspondents fought OWL Direc-
tor Elmer Davis proposal to move
his headquarters a couple OF miles
across town from the war agency
center.
Newsmen baked at having Own
placed so far away from the sources
of news Moreover, they won their
fight when the then WPB boss, Dom
aid NJ. Nelson. joined their cause.
Nelson refused to grant the neces-
sary telephone cables and other ma
terials which Owl needed TO set
up its proposed new shop.