TO POLICE GLOBE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13801, 19 November 1942, Page 6

TO POLICE GLOBE

WORLD AIR BOARD

Britain, America and Russia

Views of Lord Brabazon

Under the title of “Ad Astra” the Right Hon. Lord Brabazon, P.C., delivered the Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture for 1942, It is partly reported in “Nature” —we quote the concluding section. Lord Brabazon said: —•

“I take it first of all as axiomatic that those nations that have fought together and suffered together, and won together, are going to remain friends, and work together. What is curious, however, is that most of these nations are, above all, nations that are concerned with very long distances as the basis of communication.

“T suggest that the United States, the U.S.S.R., and the British Commonwealth, with the United Nations, should announce that henceforth they jointly and solely take charge of all aircraft and all flying that the Usque ad Coelum (ownership of air above) doctrine goes, and that in future they give themseves the right to fly whithersoever they like, and that no one anywhere on earth shall fly without their consent. ‘“Thus there will be a watching force to see that nowhere in the world shall a nation secretly build up an air force for mischief. It would, of course, delegate to countries their own internal organisation for local flying, but always under its broad control. But the great long-distance highways will be in their charge and run by international crews.

Guarantee Against Aggression “They will at first operate war machines for intercommunication until better are made by the industry existing, which cannot be dissolved overnight. In return for taking upon itself these great powers, the World Board will guarantee all States against aggression, and will constitute to itself the policing of (he world.

“Where we make a difference from the League of Nations idea is that here w*e will be creating, right at the beginning a force of transcending power that no one can challenge, instead of a debating chamber that had no force at its command. I do not for one -moment lay it down that at the right time our present enemies should not come into the general scheme. The idea is world co-opera-tion and not penalisation. It is high time with the resources at our command that we protected ourselves against a world war every generation. Here in our hands we have the instrument so to do.

“A -world-wide development of civil flying would have great repercussions on human life and materially improve the standard of living. The exploitation of this great invention to be put to the use of man rather than his destruction is long overdue. The world shrinks in size as time separation diminishes. Mails and passengers would be the first to be served, movement of heavy goods for some time remaining in the hands of the older systems of transportation.

“What the world holds for us in tariff barriers in the future we do not know, but it is to be hoped that an easier, freer circulation of travellers to and from all countries will

be encouraged rather than at present

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