The Bismarck Tribune

NEW TELLS STORY OF AIR MAIL

Postmaster General Takes Stand in Presidential Air Probe

REVIEW ACHIEVEMENTS

State Commercial Aviation Is Now Established on Firm Basis

Washington, Sept. 23.--The postoffice department, boss of the air mail service, added its endorsement today to the stand of the war and navy departments against a unified, separate air service in which all the air activities of the federal government would be consolidated.

Postmaster General New, appearing before the president's special aircraft board, was asked whether he favored a unified air service like that advocated by Col. William Mitchell, and he replied:

"I believe the postoffice department should control its air service."

Then, after a pause, he added, "That is all."

With other officials of the department, Mr. New outlined the benefits of the air mail service as now constituted. The next cabinet member to be questioned by the board will be Secretary Hoover, who will appear late today or tomorrow.

Washington, Sept. 23.--Achievements of the postal air service were reviewed before the President's air board today by Postmaster General New, as demonstrating that commercial aviation "is an entirely feasible thing."

One motive in instituting the trans-continental air mail service, he said, had been to demonstrate to "men of means" that commercial aviation is a possibility.

"How far that had succeeded in attracting capital to a new industry was best shown, he thought, by the fact that the department recently received 19 bids for eight new mail routes it proposes to place in operation.

States Position

The Postmaster General prefaced his statement to the board, with an allusion to the controversy over the nation's air defense in which he declared "it is, of course, understood that the postoffice department has no place in any differences existing among military and naval authorities as to the best method for carrying on their aeronautical operations."

"Our activities in the air," he continued, "have been directed toward the performance of an important public service in a manner to demonstrate to men of means that commercial aviation is a possibility. This is what we have had in mind in carrying the trans-continental air mail. It is not our belief that the government should permanently continue to provide this service under government auspices and government expense, but the service is a most important one and, if it was possible for it ever to be undertaken by private agencies, it was first necessary to demonstrate that it was an entirely feasible thing."

Cite Achievements

Postmaster New said that prior to the institution of the transcontinental air mail service, air mail lines over short distances were established but then abandoned because there was no substantial saving in time accomplished. Later longer lines were established, and on September 8, 1920, through service between New York and San Francisco was attempted.

"The schedule westbound," he said, "New York to San Francisco, a distance of 2,665 miles, is 34 hours and 20 minutes, which includes stops at 15 stations for service and exchange of mail; that for the east-bound trip is 29 hours and 15 minutes, the difference between accounted for by the fact that the prevailing winds are from the west and help the eastbound ship while they correspondingly retard the one west-bound.

"During the fiscal year ending with the 30th of last June, we flew on this trans-continental route, 2,076,764 miles, with a percentage of .96. That is to say, we flew that many miles with mail. Including mail, ferry and test we flew 2,501,555 miles."