711.1927/8–2845
Minutes of Meeting of a Subcommittee of the Air Coordination Committee, by Mr. Murray M. Wise of the Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs
| Participants: | Rear Admiral W. O. Spears (Navy Department) |
| Commander L. Niviling (Navy Department) | |
| Lt. Comdr. J. Q. Newton (Navy Department) | |
| Major J. E. Green (War Department) | |
| Mr. John Sherman (Civil Aeronautics Board) | |
| Mr. Merrill Armour (Civil Aeronautics Board) | |
| Mr. Harry G. Tarrington (Civil Aeronautics Adm.) | |
| Mr. W. P. Cochran (CCA–Department of State) | |
| Mr. Stephen Latchford (AV81–Department of State) | |
| Mr. R. T. Yingling (LE82–Department of State) | |
| Mr. M. M. Wise (CCA–Department of State) |
The ACC Special Subcommittee on Panamanian Commercial Aviation met at the Department of State on August 28 with the above mentioned members and alternates in attendance. The ACC reference before the Subcommittee was a request for recommendations as to principles which should govern the cooperation of the United States and Panama with respect to future commercial aviation operations in the territory of the latter. Specifically before the Subcommittee was the work of preparing the draft of a proposed new Commercial Aviation Agreement with Panama to replace the one effective since 1929 but unilaterally abrogated by Panama in 1941.83
Representatives from the Department of State advised the Subcommittee that the President of Panama and his cabinet recently had decided to re-establish the Aviation Commission created in 1929. However, members of the Subcommittee agreed that a Permanent Joint International Aviation Board, as recommended by General Brett84 in his report of October 19, 1944 to the War Department, would be preferable to the former Aviation Commission and that, therefore, the final objective of the Subcommittee should not be influenced by the recent Panamanian decision.
The Subcommittee consequently directed that the War Department prepare the provisions (pertaining to the military) for a draft Commercial Aviation Agreement with Panama. The CAB,85 likewise [Page 1261] was asked to prepare for insertion in the Agreement, draft provisions pertaining to the civilian aspects of the commercial aviation policy. It was agreed that once the various groups represented on the Subcommittee had had opportunity to study the draft provisions, the whole Committee would then be reassembled to discuss the provisions of the proposed agreement.
There was brought to the attention of the Subcommittee a second reference from ACC. The reference expands the work of the Subcommittee by requesting that in its preparation of suggested principles to govern commercial aviation operations in Panama, it also proposes a suitable recommendation for the revision of the present civil aviation laws of Panama. This further reference came as a result of a recent request by the Panamanian Government that the Department of State and the War Department lend assistance in framing and establishing new civil air laws for Panama. The Subcommittee agreed that it would be inappropriate to discuss this second reference before forming the principles and draft agreement which fall under the request of the first ACC reference.
The Subcommittee meeting was adjourned to meet again at the call of the Department of State.