| Show J 0 0 0 SEVELT CURTAILS L. L u RT AiLS I AIR AIRMAIL MAIL MAILAS f r AS TWO MORE FLIERS DIE i iOnly I Only Most Necessary Routes Will Be Maintained Main Main- L tain tamed d Until U ntH Private Operation Op ration Resumes A ra Night ig t Flying May B Be Suspended ld t. t i. i I Br Press Puss WASHING WASHINGTON TON March 10 Because lo Because of the loss of oZ ten ten i lives since th the army armr started carrying the he al airmail maU President Roosevelt today ordered r ered immediate curtailment of the ser ser-o ser l' l vice S To Ta Secretary Dern Bern he directed the stopping of all carrying carrying car carr r of of airmail n except on on S 'S such h routes under und r such weather t. t conditions and under such equipment and personnel condi cond- as will insure as fa fax far a as the the utmost care can provide provid agai against S rec recurrence rr nce of or oZ lat fatal latal l i accidents He recognized the adverse weather condi conditions but said al nevertheless the co continuation of ot deaths In thc army air air corps m stop His letter Id er to Secretary Dern fol Lol ol j lows k My My Dear Mr S Secretary J On February 9 the army air corl O-l O was given th the temporary assignment of carrying the airmail and commenced com com- the at actual al carrin carrying on February Feb Feb- Fet 20 Had Assurance This action was taken on the del del- def def- mite assurance given iven me that hat the army air all corps bs could carry the thc mail Since that time ten army fliers have lost their lives I appreciate that only four lour of these were actually I flying the mail but the others were ver training or were proceeding to the mail route I appreciate also that thai almost every part of the country has been visited during this period by fog snow mow and oSt storms and that serious accidents taking cven even more lives have occurred at the same same time in pass passenger nger and commercial aviation Nevertheless the continuation of ot deaths in the army air corps must stop We all know that flying under the best of f conditions is a definite hazard but the ratio of ot accidents has been far too loa high during the past i three weeks J Demands Safety Will you therefore please i issue ue immedIate immediate im un- mediate orders to the army air corps slopping stopping all carrying of air man mall except ex I on such such routes under such weather conditions and under such such equipment and personnel conditions Continued d on Pace Fite Two I J ROOSEVELT ORDERS AIR MAIL t SERVICE BY ARMY CURTAILED fI r Cj r t Mounting Death List F Reason r P Given as r J for Change Continued from Pure Pare One Ona as u aswill will insure as az far as the utmost I care can provide against constant recurrence re re- re currence of fatal accidents This exception includes of ot course t full tun authority to change or modify I ch scheduled dW s. s As you know knOY the period of ot emer emer emer- f ency eney will end as 8 oon as u the necessary nary sary legislation laUon has been enacted and andew 1 Sic Cew ew contracts can be obtained I am i writing once more to the chairmen 1 cl ef of- the house and senate committees urging speed in the enactment nt of the I legislation I Asks More Training Because military have been I taught us during the past few weeks I I J IX request that you consult immediately immediately immedi immedi- with the postmaster general and I the secretary of ot commerce in order that additional training may maybe be given t to tto army air pilots through cooper cooperation cooperation tion with private companies who whom whom- In la later l ter on will fly the mails This should include of ot course training in ut cross t I country flying in night flying blind blindt t flying yIng and instrument flying I ul am sending a copy of this letter let let- 1 ter er to the postmaster general in ort order or or- t I der tier th that t he may enay make arrangements arrangement I i with you He will of course modify I the ther he instructions given on February j I to conform form with the army plans V Very r ry sincerely I FRANKLIN D. D D. 1 Before Issuing his order the 1 sent Bent called personally before him 1 General Douglas MacArthur the 1 chief and Major General Gener Fe u o j I chiet chief of the army a air corps I May Stop Night Flights IT I What routes to curtail curtan remained to tobe tobe tor r be e decided Explaining the plan pIan would have to tobe be worked out in detail before announcement an an- I could be made General MacArthur expressed the opinion to 1 reporters reporter that tha some of at the route routes o on which a small amount of at mail was being carried w would uld be dropped Postmaster General Farley Fancy and Major Major Ma Ma- jor General Foulois will make the I d decisions c lons I Safety fety would be emphasized in any curtailment General MacArthur said that was WI the chief objective To Insure greater safety he said it might be necessary to reduce or enI entirely en en- I I 1 stop night flying and for or the d day y mail routes route to select only the very ery best planes and the very best pilots riots available to the army The Theil il j number timber of ot routes to be maintained c in irL ris lIs opinion may be controlled by bythe bythe the number of excellent pilots and andI ships Hips available I May Ilay Chance Change Routes MacArthur said it might be possible ble for br some of f the routes to b be I changed to avoid regions in which extremely bad weather prevails ils or Wh where re there have been extremely cl dangerous spots Shortly after the White House announcement an an- Senator Senat r Fess Fus R R. Ohio c called senate attention to the new I I army deaths be he said The time has come when we ought aught to take some action I t to 13 take these thee boys boys' out ut of of- the air and before the day is over over I will offer otter a resolution to ask the president president dent cent to do so I The presidents president's order drew immediate imme I diate laJe p praise aise fr from m bo both h parties In the J nate nate although some Republicans I said he should have gone further and discontinued ed all routes Senator McNary termed the order an act Q of wisdom as far tar as it went i but said he should have gone lone further tad And suspended d all aU routes until better I eq equipment and more training rainIng was wa provided Legislation Pushed Chairman McKellar McKellar of ot the postoffice postoffice post post- office committee had no comment to make other than a statement that he hearings on the bill to return the airmail U to private carriers would be started Monday when officials of th the department of ot commerce and the postoffice post post- office Ulce department would give their views feW Administration leaders made it Itin in they expected to waste wate no time in in iri passing the Black McKellar-Black bUlI bill bUl I However it was pointed out private mall mail flying could not be resumed before before be be- fo fore e June Tune at the tho e earliest due to strict provisions of the new act t Peas Fes charged d taht Democrats were I engaged in a smearing campaign against aIn the Hoover administration I and nd characterized the null mall contract t II cancellation order as inhuman un un- American and Indefensible f Chairman Sheppard D. D Tex Texas of the military committee said Its a good Idea The president is fa doing the thing he thinks b best t. t Senator Metcalf R R. R. R I. I it was wasa a yen ery wise thing to do It ought to tor r have been done sooner Why wait if tilt so man many people are killed Sending Send Send- jn ing int th these e poor fellows out not properly prop prop- eli erly pr prepared pared I think all th the routes ought to o be canceled Senator Costigan D. D Cob Colo The presidents president's act appears appear eminently wise wile and hum humane n under all known I circumstances I Zater ater Fess Feu introduced a 1 calling for suspension of ot all aU Emergency army airmail activities until adequate training and safe sae equipment are p provided Q- Q I IL 4 I I I Secretary of at War Dem Dern right fight and Colonel Charles A. A Lindbergh Who vho conferred In Washington today on army aviation questions I |
