CIVIL AERIAL TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 126, 14 February 1918, Page 5

CIVIL AERIAL TRANSPORT

THE AIR AFTER THE WAR AMERICA EVOLVING PLANS Washington, December 11. Dr. W. F. Durand, chairman <if the National Advisory Committee -for Aeronautics, to-day issued a statement on tho origin, scope, and plans of the new Civil Aerial Transport Committee, which supersedes with wider scope the original Aerial Mail Sorvico' Committee, authorised on December 7, 1916. "The future of aviation, ! ' said Dr. Durand, "is of vital importance even at the present timo,'because.upon.-it .depends very largely-the •future of the thousands of men now going into the air service, the millions of dollars allotted to it by Congress and by industry, aud in general, tho possibility of salvaging tho present investment in aviation expressed in terms of human energy, skilled workmen, trained aviators, time, aud capital. "What, for instance, are we going to do after tho war with the thousands of fliers and of 'planes on band, with the factories tuned up for vast" quantity production, and with the great training schools and fields with their capacity for turning out aviators? ..So far as humanly possible, plans should now be laid looking towards the utilisation of all these as tho nucleus of a future aviation development which will serve to open up a new avenue for man's activities and enormously widen bis vision and capacities. Already 'planes have been built to carry 25 passengers; to travel at a speed of ISO miles an hour; to ascend ih miles into the air; to cover 920 miles without a stop, as against the longest non-stop distance across the Atlantic of 1195 miles from Newfoundland to the Azores. Air Capita! Must be Conserved. "Peace will find this country with an immense air capital on hand, and comprising skilled workmen, factories, machinery, and industrial organisation in effective operation. ' This capital must be so conserved and directed that, if possible, not a man or a dollar will bo wasted in tbo hiatus between war and peace. The situation at the termination of hostilities must be foreseen so far as humanly possible, and plans laid in advance in order that we may then avoid hasty and' ill-advised measures. "Europe has already gone a lc*g way in such provision. Aviation there is almost as old as the war, and is, in a sense, bred into the bone. The moment tho war is ended there will be ready a complete plan for tho conversion of all this equipment to the uses of peace and commerce. France set up such a committee in January last,, and England followed shortly with a body headed by Lord Northcliffe. Bavaria has outlined an aerial traffic system for central Europe, and Germany, a Hamhurg-to-Constautinoplc route. One of our first steps, of course, has been to got in touch wtih the Allied committees in order to secure the value of their experience and to'plan for tho complex international phases of tho situation. "One of the most important of tho many problems pressing for consideration is the human one of what is to become of our airmen. Not only will these men deserve well of their country, but in self-interest tho country must safeguard a skill which is both rare and costly. They not only deservo opportunities for further service in peacelul vocations, but it is an economic necessity that they should have the opportunity of continuing to servo along lines which will secure some return ou tbo national investment which they represent.- There will be many such lines of service, whether in the Army, in aerial mail, coast guard, air policing, scientific investigation, or in the training of new aviators. Protection Against Stoppage of War orders., "Tho new industry, also, which baa grown up under Government inspiration, should be protected against sudden stoppage of war orders. If, when peace comes, a lew months are allowed to pass without new business, tho industry which has been built up with such care would be seriously crippled. The vast army of workmen required under present conditions will bo thrown out of employment, ■ and will be forced to seek opportunity elsewhere, thus adding to the industrial confusior which must be anticipated in the readjustment between war and peace. One of our problems will be to find means of minimising the ill effects of 6uch readjustments, possibly by having plans for peace 'planes for mails, coastguard, policing, and mapping, so up to date that when war orders stop the industry may change over with the minimum disturbance to tho more permanent work ahead.

"The first and more obvious use of airplanes in the future lies-in the delivery of mails. Already Congress has appropriated 100,000 dollars for the initial steps in aerial mail delivery, but for the present all manufacturing energies must go into the war 'planes. However, the War Department has agreed, subject to Congressional approval, to turn over all 'planes no longer adaptable to military use to the Post Office as a beginning of'its air service. In view of the numbers which may be so transferred later, it is essential to lay plans without delay, as is being done by the Post Office Department, for the specifio'routes, the aerodromes, quarters, personnel, etc. Abroad, both France and Italy have developed aerial mail service' in a preliminary way to great advantage."