Show ARMY WORKS ON PLANS TO TAKE OVER AIRMAIL P Postoffice Working on Skeleton Skale- Skale ton Map of System fo for Use After Feb 19 x TO USE CIVIL CIVI L AIRPORTS Foreign Postal Contracts Contracts Also Being Scrutinized i i B Br Associated Press WASHINGTON Feb 10 The 10 The postoffice postoffice post post- office department has started work york on a skeleton air mall mail map which will be used when the arm array army begins carrying the mall mail Harllee Branch assistant postmaster general an an- He made the- the disclosure si simultaneously simultaneously si- si ly wl h the announcement that the postoffice is in investigating t foreign foreign for for- eign air mall mail contracts with cancellation cancella cancella- tion in view The department t is working out what it considers the primary and and most essential lines in order to have them operating i imm immediately d tely when hen present contractors cease e service Branch said I He was not re ready dy to indicate what the primary lines might be but they were vere ere c considered certain to cover cover cities in which federal reserve banks ar are located Will Use Civil Ports The department plans to use we exIsting existing exist exIst- ing Lag civil airports in order to to- keep employment as high as las possible gIving Ing prefer preference nce to the civil port even Airmail Study Planned WASHINGTON Feb 10 UP Secretary of Commerce Commer e Roper today appointed a subcommittee tee to study the entire airmail quest question o and report to Ui the government gov government gay gov on aviation Monday The subcommittee comprises Eugene L. L Vidal commerce aeronautics branch cht chief f Major Major Ma Ma- jor G General BD army corps chief and Se Second ond Assistant As Postmaster General Harlee Marlee Har Mar lee Bran Branch h. h where army fields are located nearby Branch said the department saw laW no cause for giving a hearing to companIes companies com corn panics whose contracts co have been canceled canceled can can- since that phase now is ended He made it plain the g government did not intend carrying the air mail per per- Where the army mail service is instituted in in- there is some likelihood the frequency of service might be reduced below the ent present stand standard rd Lines Face Extinction Private air aJr mail companies stripped of their contracts lay by presidential order order or or- der and some threatened with being forced out ut of cried out for lor jora a hearing They plans to carry carryon carryon carryon on until action Is taken on their pleas President Roosevelt's wholesale l abrogation of existing air mail contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts issued last night becomes ef effective ef ci February 19 On that date dale army planes will wm begin flying lying the thema ma mail Demolition with wilh a single pen stroke Continued on Page Two D ARMY PREPARES PREP ARES ARESTO TO CARRY MAIL Number of Air Routes Serving Serving Serving ing Nation Will Be Cut Temporarily Continued from Pate Pace One of ot the air null mail sUbs subsidy dy structure was accomplished on grounds of collusion in the obtaining of the contracts Operators of air lines holding air moil mall contracts were quick to deny collusion Some frankly said that loss of the contracts might force them out of business Many l Demand Hearing Many demanded that they be given givena a hearing before the the contracts are taken token from them There was no official oh cial comment on these demands but there was private talk in some administration administration ad ad- ministration quarters of a hearing at least for tor some of the contract holders Under the cancellation order it was Indicated at the White House Howe none of the concerns affected would be beable beable beable able to bid on new air mail contracts for another five years The year five-year provision is contained in the statute under which the order was vas issued The president ordering the army and department of ot commerce to coop coop- crate with the postoffice department for the p period of the emergency Indicated that some time would elapse before new contracts will be let Reorganization Is Hinted d Since some of the firms are the largest argest in aviation the private talk was that some reorganization might be suggested that would allow them to bid again within five years Meanwhile the war department prepared to take over the air mail system Orders were flashed to aviation aviation avia avla tion squadrons in all sections of the countr country General Douglas MacArthur chief chic of ot staff said We will start flying the air mail a week from today and there will be no delay no difficulty and no rio interruption His statement was interpreted to mean that the army might take over before February 12 About 1700 planes are available At the outset probably only about big observation and cargo planes will willbe willbe be used with of the army's speediest bombing planes held in readiness |