Evening star., 1947-05-04
Diverted Ocean Flights
swamp Customs Men
Al National Airport
By w. H. Shipper, Jr.

The Sfors Aviofion Editor
How long, fellows ?--how much
longer, and how many more of them
are coming2"
Last nights question of the weary
customs inspector was followed by
an answering drone of motors In
the sky to the northeast, where the
mist partially obscured the moon.
In moment landing lights
stabbed through the dimness over
the runway approach and another
overseas transport got Its wheels
down on National Airport and
TAXED up to join three others al
ready waiting to discharge pas
sengers.
La Guar1ia Traffic Coming Here.
Through the early hours this
morning Washington still was re-
ceiving traffic diverted from New
York while LaGuardia Field re-
mains "socked in" by rain, clouds
and ocean fog which rolled in
Thursday afternoon and gave little
promise of lifting today.
The passengers were weary, but
not half SO weary as Federal inspec-
tors who began checking them
through the port-of ENTRY mill hours
before the latest arrivals took off
from Paris, London, Rome, Cairo or
Rio. Some of the small staff of
quarantine, customs, immigration
and plant inspectors had been on
almost continuous duty since Thurs
day morning.
Uncle Sans regulations, as they
apply to the entry of aliens, lug
gage and foreign cargo, admit of
no short cuts. Still struggling to
catch up, the officials labored over
complex forms, multiple details and
personal problems put to them In
half a dozen languages. They had
moved in a few cots and caught cat
maps or grabbed coffee and sand
witches on the run.
AirIines Also Work Hard.
Airlines personnel were working
overtime also, especially those of
overseas carriers like American, Pan
American and Trans World. Crews
were imported from New York and
other Eastern terminals now wealth
cred in to help the local staffs.
Passengers were fed coffee and
sandwiches while waiting their
turn with the inspectors.
One of the most complex prob
lens, with Washington hotels al
ready jammed with convention and
Spring holiday visitors, was to find
accommodations here or surface
transportation to the North or East
for the travellers.
TranscontinentaI Plans Here.
Washington was serving as the
northern terminals for transconti-
mental as well as overseas flights.
In the last 48 hours TWA alone
trans-shipped some 1000 passengers
out of Washington, including those
from Swiss Air, Air France and
Venezuelan airline. A similar task
fell to American Airline staffs handl-
ing their own passengers as well as
those of the Royal Dutch and Scan
danavian lines.
Meanwhile, at LaGuardia some
$50 fights had been cancelled since
Thursday, and all flights scheduled
for last night were grounded with
continued fog and rain forecast.
Fewer than a dozen planes were able
to leave LaGuardia yesterday.
Some alternate landings were
being made at Newark, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, although airports
at the first two cities have been
closed most of the time.
25 Unload Here in Day.
Passengers bound to and from
New York have been travelling in
and out of Washington by rail and
special coach since the bad weather
began.
At least Is overseas transports
were unloaded here during the "a
hours ending at midnight and ad-
ditional four -engined planes are
expected today. Meanwhile, every |
available parking space at the air.
port was clogged with big trans
ports of many nations-Constella-
tions, Skymasters and Stratocruis-
ers. There also were many two
engined planes of domestic lines.
Friday night, seven planes
averaging 40 passengers each ar
rived at about the same time. The
customs staff of seven men is set
up to clear 40 passengers in less
than an hour, but long waits re-
suited because so many planes had
arrived at once with passengers,
mail and baggage to be cleared
Some Worked Since Thursday.
Last night three planes loaded |
with passengers were waiting at i
one time. They could not be clear
ed to land by Quarantine Officer |
D. D. Wendell of Bethesda until
others in the waiting room of the
Air Transport Command Terminal
had passed through the mill. |
The quarantine officer had been |
on continuous duty since Thursday.
This also was the case with IN
spector Thomas J. German, jr., $3.50 |
Twenty-ninth street NV, in charge
OF customs at the airport, as well as
Robert B. Applebee. deputy COL
lector of customs for the Port of
Washington. The inspectors were
aided by the clerical staff.
Passengers Garry Lunches.
Immigration officers were serving
equally long hours, as were plant |
quarantine inspectors of the Agri-
culture Department. /
Many passengers arriving from
Europe brought lunches which in
cluded fruit imported from southern !
areas where the banned Mediter-
ranean fruit fly is prevalent.
The passengers last night in
cluded bevy of war brides from
France, who had only few words
OF English among them, and a
l0-year-old French boy bound to /
meet his father in New York The
young traveller was in the care of /
a Greek official here on govern
ment mission.
Many passengers were in transit |
to Mexico or Central America. One
young Frenchwoman, who could /
speak no English, had a terrific 1
time explaining why she should not |
pay duty on a handbag full of per-
fume, and a traveller from a Baltic .
country tried to make it clear with |
gestures that huge silver platter |
in niS