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Last, there is a Sub-Secretary of State for Aviation with a Department of Aviation under the Department of Public Works. This has a Technical Section under it (organized very much like our Air Service Engineering Division in this country), which has to do with the study and development of all aeronautical material for the air services of the French Republic -- whether army, navy, or civil. There is a Meteorological Section which handles all the meteorology in France. It is very well organized  with radio telephonic and telegraphic liaisons all over the country. It turns out hourly reports and gives predictions from twenty-four to thirty-six hours ahead of time twice a day. The third department is that of Civil Aviation. This has control over all airdromes not actually occupied by military forces, and, even on military airdromes, it has a certain amount of jurisdiction over civil airplanes, and is charged with the inspection of all civil aircraft and the personnel, either navigating or mechanical. It handles the subsidies for civil aircraft. These consist of about fifty per cent of the original cost of the airplanes and about fifty per cent of the operating costs. In addition, a guarantee of five per cent profit on the investment of properly organized lines is given.
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