Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-10-29

President of the United States,
the delay has been due to very
complex condition involving in
ternational air transport eco
nomics, bi-lateral air agreements
nationalized airilnes and national
pride therein and competition
from and among the United States
international flag lines.
The President receives top bill
ing in this international air trans
port situation because, on July 10
last, he wrote a letter.
1t was to Acting Chairman o.
valid Ryan of the Civil Aeronautics
Board, approving the sale OF
American Overseas Airlines to
Pan American for s17.450, 200
which the CAB had disapproved a
short time before by a 80 vote
after weichin" the case for nearly
10 months. With AOA absorbed
by Pan American, United States
flag line competition on the valu-
able North Atlantic airway tc
Europe was narrowed to PAA and
.TWA (Trans World Airlines).
British Satisfied
In his letter, Mr.. Truman di-
rected CAB to put Pan American
into Paris and Rome, two prize
stops on TWAS international
route which it received from the
CAB in July. 1945. but which
have been consistently denied tt
Pan American by the board unit
the President acted in the nov
celebrated PAA-AOA merger case
TWA was not authorized to fly
into London and Frankfurt, Ger.
many. by the CAB when it made
its postwar route and airline
operator destinations in 1e45
though these busy centers hac
been granted to PAA and AOA
So the President told Mr.. Ryar
to put TWA into London anc
Frankfurt, too. thus giving the
two remaining United States, in
ternational airlines entrance into
these four cities, which he re.
garded as the leading traffic
points in Europe.
The CAB complied Immediately
and, together with the State De-
partment, formally broke. the
news to London, Paris and Rome
In London. the British raised ar
inouisitive eyebrow as to whether
PAA would not only operate al
OF its original schedules into Lon.
don and all heretofore flown By
AOA, but would TWA match the
total? And was America by any
chance attempting to provide fal
more schedules and passenger.
carrying capacity on the New
York London route than tn,
traffic warranted? Assured b,
America that such would not b.
the case and that there would b,
no problem, the British welcomed
TWA as it said farewell to AOA
which formally disappeared into
the Pan American system on Sep.
TENDER 25, and TWA began opera
lions into London and Frankfurt
from New York on October /. To
the people of Frankfurt, both ma
tive and extended visitors, there
was no objection to TWAS en-
trance there.
Permits Held Up
Half of President Truman's OBJ
Jective-"to accomplish a route
pattern in which our Nation may
have the benefit of competition
to the principal traffic points in
Europe, and to avoid a monopoly
on the part of either of the
United States carriers now
achieved. In Paris and Rome,
though, things were different.
Since early in 1916. Paris and
New York have been connected
and served on mutually satisfac-
tory terms by TWA, representing
the United States. and Air France,
the French governments interna-
tlonal airline. Both airlines op-
crate Consultations and the COM
petition between the two is pleas
ant. TWA had no competition
from an Italian international air.
line between Rome and New York
from the spring of 1916 until re-
Gently, when Linee Aeree Italiane.
flying dogs, inaugurated regular
service. This could be called very
pleasant competition for TWA be-
cause it owns 40 per cent of LAI.
These happy days for TWA ap-
peared to be numbered when the
Presidents surprise letter was
made public by the board (which
emphasized he acted in accord
ance with a power granted to
him by Congress in the Civil
Aeronautics Act of 1892. But
TWA has long been on record
against one United States inter-
national airline holding a mo-
nopoly and just as strongly in
favor Of regulated competition on
foreign routes from other Amer
ican-operated lines. Pan Amer
lean has long been on record in
favor of a single United States
flag line being created to handle
all foreign air commerce and
strongly opposed to two or more
United States-operated airlines
serving the same foreign routes
on the grounds the American eff
fort is diluted and weakened in
face OF competition by the single
aforementioned or controlled
foreign companies. TWA has been
enjoying a United States monopoly
on the New York-Paris- Rome
route. which in principle it alb
hors. PAA is about to be made
competitor of an American-op-
Grated international airline, which
in principle it abhors. Paris and
Rome have been and still may be