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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0651.PDF
MARCH 7, 1940 The De Haviiland Albatross is probably still the most efficient comme " Flight " photograph.jp.aiit ai uie world. sible for the American industry to produce this machine, and if enough cigars are handed out everybody ought to be satisfied! Gathering up a few threads, we find that the Americans are grabbing a terrific amount of editorial space which is quite unjustified on the ground of news because it is false news, especially as it tends to reflect on the capabilities of British products. Secondly, that at least one important American machine has turned out to be not nearly so important after all; in fact, we have already a machine as good and have had it in service for 18 months. Lastly, we have been given &n*hors-d'ceuvre to tickle our palates for the future. In the best propaganda tradition, keep on keeping them guessing. Keep the El Dorado just out of reach. Talk of the magnificent stuff that is coming along. This is exactly the technique of Jaspar the German, Arch Priest of Zeesen, erro- neously nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw as an insidious attack on the prestige of the British aristocracy! Reasonable Deductions What do we deduce from this? Our military aircraft prestige is being attacked throughout the world on the basis that the Allies have to come to America for war- planes. That the Allies are so tied up with their own work they can't handle anything else, but of course the Americans will always oblige. That by carefully ignor- ing the splendid work of the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign class air liners, a big campaign can boost the DC-4, and it will hit the world's headlines. But that's not all—for whilst the Allies are fighting for their very existence the Americans are all set to produce the biggest proposition civil aviation has heard of, and this may be in service in three years! That also will hit the headlines a smash. So we come to the Case of the Missing Official. In vain do we search for a clue as to the man who is going to counterblast Californian syrup of publicity. Nowhere can we yet find a pointer that the Government intends to do anything about this, our aeronautical future, whilst the Americans are, to paraphrase a famous slogan, cashing in and carrying on in our absence. With astonishment we read of the miserable climb-down of Imperial Airways and British Airways services. We read bleats to buy civil aircraft from America. We scan every column of the Press to find a forcing policy for British Civil Aviation. We watch the Royal Aero Club, send our spies out far in the land. But the answer is always negative. Nothing doing. Yes, one wee little clue, from Buenos Aires. It says that the proposed British cable service, which was to carry trade news to South America, has not been established. That, at least, is a good thing; for you can readily imagine the astonishment of Latin races receiving the trade tripe— yes, TRIPE—which has been released with a Whitehall backing, when anyone with the slightest knowledge of South America knows that what is wanted are pictures of pretty girls—a view towards which a certain degree of Nordic agreement may be extended. We can't find the clue to the missing official because ipso facto he must be an official of something. Then, my dear Watson, we are really looking for an official body or a body of predominant standing to safeguard our aviation interests: and the body is missing! Yes, we have the Civil Aviation Development Committee, which it seems certain will work tremendous good for the interests we have at heart. As far as is known, at this stage, no suggestion of a sales organisation comes within its activities. Then clearly what we need badly is a British Aviation Exports concern charged with the co-ordination and rationalisation of our export sales throughout the world, a concern in the closest liaison with the C.A.D.C. which would handle only the pro- duction of aircraft and material to be sold by the new body. Here, it seems, is the missing link to the missing official. Now for a spot of major sleuthing to find out when (How long, Allah, how long!) the exports organisation will be formed and who, please Allah, will be its driving force. It must happen quickly, if at all, for at no distant date one of Hitler's underlings will be signing the Peace Treaty of London. And every day that passes means the Americans, the Japs, the Italians and the Dutch are entrenching themselves more firmly. Watson, we must find the Missing Body before it is too late!
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