Detroit evening times., 1946-01-07
By MERRILL 6. MEIGS

CHICAGo-This is the blow by blow"
~ journal of a world trip-a trip to coun-
tries which will soon be available to all air
minded Americans.
The "shots" are in my arms, the little
bugs getting ready to combat any disease
which may level me during the long trip.
Our group was commanded by Maj Gen. K.
M. Powers head of development. procure
ment and disposal OF aircraft. His staff of
material and technical experts included Coils.
Earl L. Johnson, j. H. Smith, G. +. Nelson
and T. L. Mosley; Maj. J. B. Akers, Capt.
j. o. Larson, a veteran Of 33 missions over
Germany, piloted our rehablitated BIZ. He
was aided by Co-Pilot Donald Day, also
veteran with 50 missions over Germany;
1t. Price, navigator; Sgt. Frank, radio oper-
ator, and Sgt Allen, chief mechanic Their
operation of the plane was a shining example
of perfect American teamwork and efficiency.
We gathered at the Washington National
Airport to be instructed AS TO row TO save
ourselves in case we are forced down at sea
or must use parachute.
TN FOUR hours we reach Bermuda-beautl-
Il full, lonely. Some of the natives still re-
sent the fact that in addition to our building
one tip of the island into tremendous air
and naval base-under the terms Of our 80
destroyer deal with Brtain--we also "in-
tested" Bermuda with its first motor cars.
We take off for the Azores the next morn
ing, but, four hours Out, the rear door OF our
BIZ is partly ripped away and bangles in the
slipstream 1t cannot be repaired in flight,
despite the efforts of our excellent crew, so
Capt. Larson puts back to Bermuda and
makes it after flying total of eight and
half hours.
We ask Washington for a C-54, but 1t.
Gen. Ira C.. Eaker points out that all avail
able C-54s are being used % bring our boys
home from overseas He sends us another
and better BIZ faster and much queter than
the other. We took all night "a reach the
rockbound and wndswept Azores in about
II hours.
Here American taxpayers have spent l3
million dollars building runways, hangars and
shops. good investment provided we are
permitted to continue the operation indeh-
niteIy. unhampered by other foreign powers.
We were interested to learn that Portugal
allows us to pay the native laborrrs only 81
day for 10 to IL hours work.
1t took eight and half hours TO fly on to
Paris We were quartered at the Plaza Athe-
nee Hotel, operated by the army-plain CT
food clean, comfortable rooms
We found John Verden, our competent
chief of European surpluses, struggling with
the intricacies of government red tape. We
discovered that demobilizaticn - stripping
our forces in France of thousands Of officers
and men familiar with our huge store of
material here. The result is dire confusion,
heroically battled by Americans, doing their
very best, under trying conditions to over
come conditions conceived by ii-considered
and untimely rehabilitation.
THE French know that we will not ship
Il most l.. S. surpluses home SO they are
taking their time about buying anything.
This is logical position for than to take in
the interest of France. Other European coun-
tries would like to buy some # our goods
piled up here. but cannot do so because of
priority rulings of the surplus property dis
posa law Verden is also Handicapped by
the lack of cear-cut policy as 20 what kind
of money he can accept for surpluses
The French are also playing hard to GET
in the matter of permitting our commercial
airliners to land there But seasoned Amer
leans, military and diplomatic officers, are
constantly at work trying TO unravel this
delicate knot.
Near Paris we saw one surplus depot that
all but defes description. There were miles
and miles of light and heavy guns tanks,
trucks, tires, spare engines, bulldozers chem
ica warfare equipment, radios radar and
thousands Of minor items and spare parts.
We have FIVE similar depots in Paris.