GIANT CLIPPERS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 12

GIANT CLIPPERS

Acquired By Britain COMMERCIAL LINES WASHINGTON, March 27. Britain has acquired three huge four-engined Boeing flying-boats which were ordered by Pan-Ameri-can Airways and may get three more. This was disclosed' today in evidence made available by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Mr. J. T. Trippe. representing Pan-American Airways, told the committee that three of the clippers, which he described as the largest commercial aircraft in service anywhere in the world, had been turned over to. the British for the maintenance of their essential lines of communication. Committee members raid they understood that the planes were to be used to maintain contact between England. Africa and Australia. The Boeings have four engines developing 6200 horse-power, are capable of carrying 84,0001 b. gross weight, and have a speed of 100 miles an hour in excess of the present clipper planes which are being flown by Pan-Ameri-can Airways from New York to Lisbon. Defence Management.

President Roosevelt, it was learned today, has under consideration an administrative realignment which would centralize national defence agencies under an Office of Emergency Management. There would be four main divisions. First, the present office of Production Management; second, a price control agency;, third, a home defence section ; and, fourth, an economic defence unit. The process of consolidating all defence activities v outside the War and Novy Departments is already under wav, according to informed officials. They said that Mr. Roosevelt would probably appoint an active director soon for the Oflice of Emergency Management to facilitate matters. This man would not. they explained, be a “defence tsar,” a defence corordinator whose chief job would be to. speed up contracts between Mr Roosevelt and the defence agencies.