THE ADMINISTRATION: Two Stars for CAB

Harry Truman wasted little time picking a successor to James M. Landis, ousted a fortnight ago as chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. The President’s choice was a surprise: he was neither a deserving Democrat nor a pet candidate of the aviation industry. He was young Major General Laurence S. Kuter, 42, able Air Force strategy planner and administrator.

Larry Kuter (rhymes with pewter), a lean West Pointer (’27), looked like just the man to carry out the Finletter Commission’s prescription for a closer tie between the Government’s military and civil air branches. Trained as a bomber pilot, he became a brigadier general at 36 (the Army’s youngest). He got to be known as a “fair-haired boy” of General Hap Arnold, served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff, commanded a division of bombers in England, helped to plan and carry out the strategic bombings of Japan, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

After the war he ran the Atlantic division of the biggest airline of all—the Air Transport Command. For the last 16 months he has been the U.S. representative on the International Civil Aviation Organization at Montreal. He impressed Air Secretary Stu Symington and Commerce Secretary W. Averell Harriman by his negotiating of international air routes. They recommended him to Harry Truman.

The appointment did not sit well with those who feel that the President has too many military men in his official family, but most aviation men seemed pleased.