19th February, 1940.
Memorandum to Chancery*
You may have seen the attached clipping
and you may also have heard on the B.B.C- network that
British Overseas Airways Corporation are to run a mail and
express service across the Atlantic during the summer.
Despite this, there is probably some truth in
Talbert's statement that the Admiralty and the military side
of the Air Ministry are exercising strong pressure on the
civil side of the Air Ministry to have our long-range civil
flying boats turned over to military uses.   While I ought,
strictly speaking, to support this policy, I feel it is my duty
to remind you once again of the results of that policy, both now
and after the war.   At the present time, Pan American Airways
are in undisputed command of the Atlantio and the Pacific civil
airways.   They are making the most of it and have no qualms
about doing so.   Quite apart therefore from the serious situation
arising from the lack of any speedy means of written communication
with Great Britain at this critical time and the general effect
that our failure to operate a trans-Atlantic service has on our
prestige in this country, we ougjit to keep in mind the difficulties
with which we shall be confronted after the war is over when we
want to recapture our due share of the trans-Atlantic air traffic.
ESy then Pan American Airways, and possibly American Export Air Lines,
will be well established, and people will be so accustomed to
travelling by them and so confident in their reliability and safety
of operation that they will be reluctant to travel by a new service
lacking in experience of trans-Atlantic flying and probably with
inferior passenger equipment (for I understand that all development
of trans-Atlantic civil transport aircraft has ceased).
P.T.O
.  . I suggest therefore that we ought to continue
to impress on the Foreign Office the dangers inherent
in the present situation and, while noting with satisfaction
that a mail and express service is to he operated by the
British Overseas Airways Corporation over the northern air route
this summer, press very strongly that preparations be made
without delay to continue the service next winter, either with
landplanes over the northern route or with flying boats via
Bermuda direct (and non stop).to Lisbon, and at the same time
urge that the building of suitable trans-Atlantic civil transport
aircraft be resumed.
*
WASHINGTON, D-C.,
19th February, 1940.
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