ABSTRACT
The committee, headed by lord Cadman, was appointed in November, 1937, as the result of the debate in the House of Commons. The report stated that "On the new subsidised lines to Scandinavia and Germany, operated by British Airways, it was found necessary to employ foreign aircraft, a course which has been damaging to our manufacturing prestige". Foreign manufacturers — American in particular — not only dominate the European market, but have gained a firm footing in the Dominions, a position which national and Imperial reasons alike make it important to retrieve. Although subsidies for British services were concentrated on Imperial Airways, the Air Ministry's contracts with that company provided solely for the operation of specified services. The Society of British Aircraft Constructors represented a monopolistic ring, unlikely to adopt a comprehensive and generous approach to the countless and varying problems associated with the development of air transport throughout the world.
