Five Freedoms or Else

When the U.S. and Britain signed the Bermuda air agreement, the fight for recognition of the five freedoms of the air* seemed to have been won. But U.S. air officials forgot one thing which the British did not. Neither nation was committed to write the five freedoms into its pacts with other countries.

The U.S. became rudely aware of this when the British signed a bilateral agreement with Argentina (TIME, Aug. 26), split transatlantic traffic 50-50 by limiting the number of flights.

Encouraged by this, other countries (Mexico, India) refused to sign with the U.S. unless they got a similar split. This would curtail operations of many a U.S. airline. They have the equipment to fly to Mexico, for example, far oftener than the Mexicans can fly to the U.S. Only Brazil signed a five freedoms pact with the U.S. The U.S. was virtually stymied unless it came to an understanding with Britain.

Last week in London a U.S. team headed by CAB Chairman James M. Landis achieved one. Henceforth the U.S. and Britain, according to a joint Anglo-American statement, will follow the basic principles adopted at Bermuda--i.e., to sign no bilateral agreements that do not include the five freedoms.

This declaration did not affect the Anglo-Argentine agreement (except perhaps to make it unrenewable). But it served notice on governments which are holding out for traffic splits by limitation of flights that they must agree to the five freedoms or get no air pacts with the U.S.

*Not to be confused with F.D.R.'s Four Freedoms. The air freedoms: 1) to fly over a foreign country; 2) to land in a foreign country for fuel or repairs; 3) to land passengers or cargo from one's own country in a foreign country; 4) to pick up traffic in a foreign country bound for one's own country; s) to carry traffic from one foreign country to another.

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