Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-13
The Bermuda Air Pact


air transport involves such a great
complex of difficult political. eco
nomic and technical problems that
years may be required to systema-
tie it satisfactorily for all powers
concerned. The new Anglo-Ameri-
can agreement worked out at Ber-
muda, however, constitutes a long
forward step to that end, setting the
pattern for similar agreements with
other countries and pointing the
way to the time when it may be pos
sible to fashion single world &C
cord under which travel in the sky
will be able to develop as smooth
and cooperative endeavor unham-
pered by unreasonable restrictions.
Reached after four weeks of nego-
tiations, the Bermuda pact repre-
Sents marked advance over the
one adopted late in 1914 at the In
ternational Civil Aviation Confer
ence in Chicago. To begin with, it
goes beyond mere statement of
principles and sets up specific ma
chinery for the operation of thirteen
present and proposed American
routes with landing points in the
United Kingdom or it's territories
and seven British routes with land
ing points on our soil. In this con-
nection one of its many important
provisions is that it expands the
Fifth Decentralization Of the
air-to include not only the right
of a plane of one nation to fly
through the sky of another nation
and to land in that nation, but also
the right to pick up passengers
there for flight to a third country.
At the same time, to guard against
unfair or cut-throat competition,
the agreement commits both coun-
tries to see to it that their interna-
tional airlines have reasonably
equal opportunities to offer service
and that that service is sold at eco
nonlic prices. Thus, although the
number of flights is not to be sub
ject to restrictions beyond those
which each country may itself es-
tablish for the carriers under its
authority, an annex to the pact sets
forth conditions governing such
matters as rates and routes. It is
provided, for example, that our
Government will ask Congress to
empower the Civil Aeronautics
Board to regulate the fares of
American overseas transport, and
the British government will move
similarly as regards British lines so
that the competitive arrangement
will be fair. Moreover, there is to
be frequent consultation between
the appropriate authorities of both
countries to iron out future differ
ences, and when settlements cannot
be reached through this course dis
putes may be referred to the Pro-
visional international Civil Aviation
Organization at Montreal. As for
bases leased to the United States
for military purposes, preliminary
steps have been taken to work out
an agreement for their civilian use.
Finally, not the least significant
feature of the Bermuda pact-which
may be terminated by either party
year after notifications that it
recognizes itself to be pioneer in
its field and accordingly provides
for amendments which may be
found necessary in the light of later
experience. All things considered, it
seems sound and farseeing enough
to warrant the prediction of some
of its trainers that other countries
will now move swiftly to subscribe
to it, in which case the prospect of
a world accord will be greatly en-
HANGED.