POST-WAR CIVIL AVIATION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 192, 12 May 1944, Page 6

POST-WAR CIVIL AVIATION

British-American Plans POINTS OF AGREEMENT IN CONFERENCE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 10. Important announcements on the recent conference in London between Britain and the United States on civil air transport were imade by Lord Beaverbrook, replying in a debate in rhe House of Lords on the subject. The first was that President Roosevelt had proposed that there should be accepted the right of innocent passage for all nations throughout the world and the right to land anywhere for refuelling and other non-traffic purposes. “I aiu authorized by Mr. Churchill.’ said the Lord Privy Seal, “to say that we join with the President to the fullest extent in subscribing to these principles. Regarding subsidies. Lord Beaverbrook said that in the recent conference the British delegates had. agreed with the Americans that the principle of international regulation of subsidies was a necessity. “We look forward to the day when subsidies will prevail no longer.” he said. Lord Beaverbrook added that the negotiations with the United States Government had, been entirely satisfactory. “We have in fact taken a considerable step forward. The deliberations went very far along the road to agreement between the two Governments.” Saying that we-.must not be ’all plan and no planes,” lie announced that the American delegation had assured Britain most generously as to the supply of transport aircraft in the period immediately following the end of the - war. These would be made available to Britain on a non-discriminatory basis in the interim period to enable- the British manufacturers to get going again. Britain, however, was not satisfied to rely on the supply of aircraft from the United States. Grateful as she was. she would do all that was possible to promote her own Supply of aircraft. Control Compromises. Looking ahead to the international conference which he hoped would take place this year, Lord Beaverbrook said that the plan known as the Canadian draft convention which laid down a detailed plan for an international regulating authority with power of enforcement had proved unacceptable to the American delegation, \ as being too rigid, and therefore it. had been decided to proceed on the basis of proposals agreed to at the Commonwealth conference six months ago. The purpose of these was to draw up an international agreement on air navigation, to be implemented by an international transport organization which would fix common standards, seek to eliminate competition, work out for each nation an equitable participation in world air transport, and maintain a broad equilibrium between air transport capacity and the traffic on offer. These were the general principles on which the United States and Britain were negotiating. The British Government sought control by an international authority which would lay down standards and regulate agreements. Pointing out that international operation differed from international regulation, he said that the former was sought bv Australia and New Zealand. This would mean that .civil aviation would be operated by a world air transport organization. But as Britain had made concessions to the Americans, Australia and New Zealand made it clear that they would be prepared to make concessions. Lord Beaverbrook added: “You see what a hopeful situation we are building up. All,are prepared to make concessions. Our Government has no desire to exclude other aircraft from our .bases. We de- , mand no prescriptive right to use airfields for ourselves, neither do. we mean to use thoni for the purpose of impeding the development of civil aviation throughout the world.” After referring to the British agreement and .Mr. Roosevelt's proposals, . Lord Beaverbrook spoke of cabotage, which he defined as the reservation to a nation of all traffic flying' over its territories, and the trighr of a nation to carry its own fraffle within its qwh territories to the exclusion of all other nations. The question‘arose whether it applied to traffic between the United States and such places - as Hawaii. The answer was that it did. !. Expansion Plans. Lord Beaverbrook spoke frankly of disappointments in the progress of the construction of new British types of . aircraft. These, he said, were due entirely to preoccupation with the needs of war. However, the York was in production on a small scale, and had given excellent service with the R.A.E. Transport Command and British Overseas Airways. The York had flown the 6857 miles from Britain to Belhi in 32 flying hours—an average ground speed of 21-1 miles an hour, carrying a pay load of four tons. The Shetland flying-boat was also due to make its first flight in a few weeks, but 1 it would not be put in production at present. The Halifax transport plane might fly late this year, but it would not be in production this year. Speaking of coming developments, Lord Beaverbrook said: “We are committed to ' further ‘ expansion of British air transport in this country and the Empire, and are looking for our proper share in world traffic. We have set our faces against wasteful and improvident. subsidy rates. The whole system of communications will , be transformed after the war. In this new system we must take a very big part.” ___________