LAGGING BEHIND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLII, Issue 9377, 4 November 1921, Page 5

LAGGING BEHIND

BRITAIN'S AIR POLICY.

NEED FOR VIGOROUS STIMULUS

(Per Press Association, Copyright.) (Received November 4, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, November 3. Lieutenant Raper, a member of the House of Commons, who served m the war as an air pilot, interviewed regarding numerous questions m the House m relation to air services, stated that Ixe hoped to stir the Government to. recover Britain's lost position m the. aijr i; He was keenly interested ■m Mr- ."V^. ; ,Mi Hughes's enthusiasm m the direction of the. establishment of a service connecting the Motherland and Australia. . . ; Lieutenant Raper added : "If the British Government does not show similar enthusiasm private enterprise will probably find a way. It would be a good thing if some rich patriotic Australians joined hands with Englishmen m promoting the services. It is scandalous that Britain was so { far behind France m the matter of aerial communication with the colonies. If the right people were to come forward the Government would probably guarantee a certain quantity of mail. France already had six international air routes and proposes m 1922 to create further connections with her colonies."

Lieutenant Raper said he was pressing the Government to outline a definite policy on civil and military aviation.