Communications and transit > Air transport co-operation committee : minutes of the first session : held at Geneva from July 8th to 12th, 1930

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M. Fisch said that the example given by M. Chaumie had made the position clearer, and, unlike
the Chairman, he did not think that all the members of the Committee were in agreement. If the
Committee wished to do practical work, it should not content itself with a vague declaration of
agreement on principles. His French colleague had said that the importation of foreign material
was beneficial to national constructors ; he did not think that the provisions in force in Germany
were so severe as not to allow of exceptions enabling English or French aircraft to be employed
in that country. In those circumstances, they might endeavour to find a compromise, which
would involve the amendment of paragraph 6 and possibly of paragraph 5 also.
M. Pittard was not in favour of a compromise. The discussion had gone on long enough.
The members of the Committee had come from different countries where widely varying views
were held. They had a common purpose, however. The time had come to take a preliminary
vote on the question whether the Committee considered that a liberal regime in regard to the choice
of material was desirable. They would then find out how many were in favour and how many
against the proposal.
The Chairman pointed out that it would be difficult to vote on a provisional text, since
M. Bouche proposed to submit an amended version of paragraph 6. Moreover, the Committee’s
resolutions were of value only in so far as they represented the views of the whole or practically
the whole Committee.
M. Molfese said he would find it difficult to vote at the moment, as the discussion had shown
that there were several different conceptions of the matter. There was the most liberal conception
—that of Spain and Switzerland, and the narrowest conception—that of Great Britain. The
Italian conception resembled the former because, while recognising the principle that the materiel
should as far as possible be of Italian construction, foreign material was not excluded.
The Chairman asked M. Bouche to be good enough to prepare a final text for paragraph 6.
Paragraph 7.—-Publication of a general directory of fast services permitting of the preparation of the
best time-tables.
The Chairman said that this paragraph had already been discussed, but that the Committee
had asked whether it would be possible for the Secretariat to publish the directory in question.
The Secretary of the Committee said that he could not give a definite answer at the
moment. The Secretariat might, for instance, submit definite proposals at another session, after
it had obtained competent opinions. The Secretariat proposed to convene a meeting of represen¬
tatives of the Time-Table Conference, the International Air Traffic Association, the Postal Union
and agencies dealing with transport undertakings, as a whole, to ascertain whether the data were
already available, to draw up a scheme for a publication of the kind in question and to decide
whether the scheme could be carried out by some organisation. If, when Section 8 came up for
discussion, the establishment of the proposed non-commercial centre, which might perhaps work
in conjunction with representatives of the institutions mentioned above, were considered expedient,
it might be possible for that centre to edit the publication in question, unless that could be done
by private enterprise.
The Chairman thought they were all agreed that the Secretariat should undertake the
proposed enquiry. The publication would be of great utility provided it were of an official nature,
because semi-official publications were often compiled too hastily and could not always be relied
upon.
The Secretary of the Committee added that, even if it were necessary for the publication
to be of an official nature, advertisements should not be excluded, because they would cover a
part of the cost.
Paragraph 8.—The establishment of a non-commercial centre of reliable information at least for
Peninsular and Mediterranean Europe and for the European services along the main currents of
world trade.
M. Molfese asked what would be the constitution and functions of this organ and why it
was especially necessary for Peninsular and Mediterranean Europe.
M. Bouche explained that, in his report, he had emphasised the fact that, as regards traffic
between Europe as a whole and the United States of America, official information had been collected
by the United States Department of Commerce and that was of the greatest value. If a European
Commercial Department were established on similar lines, it would be able to institute a service
comparable to the American service.
M. Roper wished to point out that such a centre already existed for Europe, since in addition
to its other functions the C. I. N. A. was responsible for centralising and circulating information
of all kinds relating to international air navigation. As long ago as 1922, the C. I. N. A. had taken
steps to apply the system decided upon and had asked all contracting States to furnish information
to its Secretariat. At the present time, 350 copies of its Bulletin were printed, but the circulation
could, of course, be increased. He frequently received fresh requests for the Bulletin, and, in his
opinion, that publication should form the nucleus of the general service proposed.