Transport: New Flights, New Fliers

¶ Down upon the glassy harbor of Port Washington, L. I. settled a four-motored Lufthansa seaplane with swastikas on her tail, Nordmeer in large letters on her flank. Considerably larger than the two twin-motored German flying boats which crossed the Atlantic several times last summer (TIME, Sept. 21), she had been catapulted from the Azores, made the 2,392 miles in 16 hr. 28 min. without incident.

¶ Up from Port Washington, few minutes after the German plane had taxied to the ramp, droned the Pan American Clipper, off for England via Bermuda and the Azores. Having crossed the Atlantic by the northern route four times with precision, Captain Harold E. Gray and his pioneering crew were making the first test of the Southern route.

¶ Up from Port Washington three days later climbed the high-sided Imperial Airways flying boat Caledonia for her sixth Atlantic crossing via Newfoundland and Ireland. Including a stop at Montreal, she got to her base at Foynes, Ireland in 20 hr. 27 min. flying time, just as her sister ship Cambria was getting set to reverse the run.

These nonchalant flights last week were so long expected and so perfectly executed that they caused no more of a ripple in the U. S. press than they had aroused in Port Washington’s harbor. What did cause headlines last week was the final laying of transatlantic rumors which have tickled U. S. aviators’ ears for months.

Five months ago Glenn L. Martin, who is anything but friendly to Pan American Airways since they bought only three of his Clippers, suddenly announced that his booming plant at Baltimore would build a still bigger flying boat for an unnamed company being organized to fly the Atlantic. Who, air men wondered, would have the temerity to challenge Pan American on the Atlantic? Transcontinental & Western Air? Royal Dutch Air Lines (K. L. M.)? Onetime Director of Air Commerce Eugene Vidal and friends? Last week the ambitious newcomer was finally revealed: American Export Lines, which operates 18 ships to the Mediterranean. In Washington it applied for permission to supplement transatlantic ship service with air service.

Behind this starring scheme lurks the stocky figure of James Murchie Eaton, a dynamic bachelor of 48 who has been causing U. S. airlines considerable worry ever since he left Pan American in 1931. As general traffic manager for P. A. A., Jim Eaton was largely responsible for that great line’s superb traffic system. He left to become president of ill-starred Ludington Air Lines, which tried to operate without a mail contract between New York and Washington, was eventually sold to Eastern. Since then Jim Eaton has been identified with an unsuccessful scheme to start flying boat service between Boston and Manhattan. Now he is vice president of new American Export Air Lines, Inc.. proposes to start test flights as soon as equipment can be delivered by Martin or Igor Sikorsky. He asserts that this will probably be within 14 months, that Martins will be used on the Atlantic, Sikorskys on the Mediterranean. Meanwhile a widespread survey has been conducted and all foreign governments involved have been approached.

American Export Lines is a sturdy little concern whose sturdy little boats (none bigger than 9,350 tons) carry about a third of the freight (not including grain) between the U. S. and the Mediterranean. This is the second richest trade route in the North Atlantic, and American Export has no U. S. competitors for it. Hence it is in a better position than many other U. S. lines, made $643.000 last year with the aid of a Government subsidy of $1,479,000. Said Lawyer Kenneth Gardner who pleaded for the new airline before the House Post Office Committee: “Our line feels that air service will supplement steamship service routes and make it possible to discontinue the construction of large, expensive boats. The practice of the future will be to construct combination passenger and freight boats, but to carry by airplane first-class mail, express matter and the passenger who is in a hurry. . . . I hold no brief against Pan American Airways. . . . The service which they propose for Europe will serve Atlantic ports of Europe and England, whereas we will serve Mediterranean and Black Sea ports.”

Recently Secretary of Commerce Daniel C. Roper has made pointed remarks about Pan American’s “monopoly.” And the new Maritime Commission has lately appointed Grover Loening, famed early plane designer, to advise it on such matters as subsidizing transatlantic airships or planes. Aviation folk therefore were betting last week that American Export would win Government permission for its new venture. Far less easy is likely to be the rapid establishment, without planes, personnel, experience or foreign landing rights of a long-distance airline over the world’s toughest aerial route.