AMERICAN BUSINESS GROUP

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 145, 1 April 1948, Page 5

AMERICAN BUSINESS GROUP

WORLD TOUR IN PLANE : SYDNEY, March 31. A Skymaster in which 17 American business men are making a world flight Avill leave Sydney early to~ morrow for Whenuapai. The plane which is called “Atlas Skjfr Merchant” left the-United States on January 13 on a flight which will hike it to 27 countries and more than 4(r cities. - r•The purpose of the 45,000-mile flight, which will last 100 days, is to investigate business conditions. So far the journey has covered more than 36,000 miles and the plane has visited South America, Africa, India, Ceylon, Siam, Indo-China, China, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaya, the Dutch East Indies and Australia. Leading the businessmen is Mr F. H. Bedford, junr., president of the Atlas Supply Company and a director of the Standard Oil Company, who claims “this is the first time that a group such as ours has made such an extensive trip to obtain information, meet , businessmen and get to understand tlieir point of view.” The Skymaster carries the newest, type of plane to ground telephone.by means of 'which the businessmen intend to carry on conversations with prominent New Zealanders while the plane is crossing the Tasman Sea., Commanding the aircraft is Colonel E. E. Aldfin, who served in New Zealand during the Avar with the United States Army Air Force.