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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0660.PDF
2l8 Barking Up the Wrong TreeQ UITE frankly, we feel that Mr. Garro Jones's allegation that the technical Press resists restraint should be withdrawn. Quite recently Flight sub- mitted a contributed article to the Censors. The article came back, passed for publication except for certain very small "cuts." We were, however, informed that the Air Advisor considered the whole article undesirable. We immediately informed the Censors that if that was the case we would certainly not publish it. Just one more example will serve- to show how far Mr. Garro Jones was " off the rails " so far as Flight is concerned. Not very long ago a photograph came into this office. It showed an aircraft of well-known and somewhat ancient vintage, and had been passed for publication by Censor. The aircraft was flying above what was a "prohibited area " even in peacetime, and .is w<- fdt sure that a mistake had been made, we im- mediately consulted the department. As we surmised, the part of the picture showing the aircraft had been passed, but not that part which showed the prohibited area. The whole area covered by tha negative had been included, by mistake no doubt, when the prints were sent out. Steps were taken to recaH all prints. In his reply, Capt. Harold Balfour assured Mr. O. E. Simmonds that the technical journals had shown them- selves entirely helpful, and added that since last autumn there had been no case of giving away, unwittingly, any damaging information. (Mr. Simmonds' question was whether '' the editors of these aeronautical and technical papers had shown themselves anxious and ready to understand the Air Ministry's point of view and to fall in with it.") MARCH 2OTH, 1941. Research and DevelopmentO NE subject which came in for a good deal of debate was that of research and technical development. The question of the resignation or non-resignation of Sir Henry Tizard was the pivot around which the debate mainly centred, but it soon became quite obvious that there was an undercurrent of general uneasiness concerning certain aspects of the working of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Whether or not Sir Henry Tizard resigns is, perhaps, not a matter of vital importance to the national war' effort. What is important is that research and tech- nical development should be pursued with the same vigour as that applied to production. * When the Ministry of Aircraft Production was set up it was generally accepted that it would, as its title implied, deal with production only; that is to say, with the quantity manufacture of aircraft, engines and equip- ment. That seemed logical. But the planning of new types, the long-range policy, might suitably have re- mained under the Air Ministry. After all, it must be tor the service chiefs to say what they want in the way of equipment in order to enable the R.A.F. to carry out its functions with the greatest effectiveness. It appears that the Ministry of Aircraft Production has been given or has taken unto itself—we are not sure which—powers and functions not originally envisaged. That all is not well seems to be indicated by the long list of eminent experts from almost every sphere who have at one time and another been called to the M.A-P. but who have left again, one by one. Not all of them have -left because of disagreements, of course. For instance. Sir Charles Bruce-Gardner, chairman of the S.B.A.C., has returned to the Society because it was felt that he could serve the national interest more effectively there, although his excellent work in the M.A.P. has received eloquent official appreciation. But it cannot be supposed that all the clever men had equally im- personal reasons for leaving the Ministry. AIRLINE CENTRE. Several of the major airlines of U.S.A. have combined to erect ,office. This six-storey building is in Manhattan and is used by American, United, T.\ Eastern Air Lines. Passenger tormalities are attended to in this esc&latored bookir w York booking and passenger dispatch., Pan American, Canadian Colonial and ia.ll, which is decorated in modern manner.
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