British Outvoted At Air Conference

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1944, Page 5

British Outvoted At Air Conference

NEW YORK, Nov. 30 In spite of Briiain’s apparently uneqivccal tvfusal !o accept cither the American or the Canadian compromise on the fifth freedom of the air, authoritative American sources said l hey regarded the incomplete agreement reached by the conference as a success from the American viewpoint, says' the “New York Times” correspondent in Chicago. He points cut that the agreement assures •open skies throughout Latin America, and also gives America a fair.opportunity, through diplomatic negotiations, to prevent the British and other closed-sky advocates from blocking the development of American air lines in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Furthermore, the manner in which the small countries of Latin-America, Europe and Asia have rallied to the United States for support is regarded as most encouraging for the future solution of those aspects of the aviation problem which the Chicago conference seemed unable to solve. Majcr Accomplishments The four major accomplishments of the conference are authoritatively (summed up as follows: 1. A permanent multilateral convention containing three main chapters: (a) General agreement on the principles of air navigation, uniform standards of landing signals, weather reports, etc.

(b) An international air organisation democratically controlled, as the small nations demanded, instead of an allpowerful single authority which Ihe Eritish desired. , (c) An air transport agreement which, admittedly means little, since the five freedoms of the air are omitted because of British opposition.

2. An interim agreement covering the same ground as the convention covering the five freedoms. Those nations desiring the fifth freedom —the majority of the countries taking part—will sign the protocol. The British and others will refrain from signing. 3. An interim agreement covering the same ground as the protocol, since the protocol is subject to treaty ratification. 4. A standard* 1 form of bilateral agreement under which various Governments can make, without reciprocal arrangements for landing rights, other freedoms of the air without awaiting treaty ratification.

Endeavouring to prevent a wide-open break with the British delegation, the United States delegation is now conferring' with "certain people of the British Empire” in an effort to work out a final plan. The object is that no stigma shall attach to these—the United Kingdom and the French most notably—unwilling to sign the convention or protocols. The remaining tasks of the conference ■ are the election of an interim council and (the selection of interim and permanent 1 orgnnisa ions.