The Auckland Star WITH WHICH AND INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1935. PACIFIC AIR SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 227, 25 September 1935, Page 6

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH AND INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1935. PACIFIC AIR SERVICE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, Fur the future ill the distance, And the, good that we Can do.

New Zealandors not yet fully familiar with the astonishing developments of aviation may at first be slightly incrodulous of the serious proposal of Pan-American Airways to link San Francisco and Auckland with a service enabling travellers to set foot on the North American Continent three days after leaving New Zealand. Yet, given the elaborate and expensive ground organisation, such a service has been technically possible for somo years. Pan-American Airways is establishing such an organisation for its North Pacific service, and it proposes to begin a subsidiary service from New Zealand, linking with the main service at Honolulu. It seeks the permission of the New Zealand Government, asks no financial contribution.

The proposal is exceedingly tempting. On general grounds any transport and communication service which will bring New Zealand nearer to the continents of the world cannot be other than beneficial. In this case the special inducement held out is that the service will cost us nothing, and that by means of it we, shall be able to shnro the advantages of the strength and experience of a huge and fast-expanding organisation. Why, then, has the New Zealand Government deferred its decision? Obviously the Government is in a quandary, because it is already committed to co-oporate with the British and Australian Governments in the extension of the All-British air service via India. The Americans' object probably is to steal a march on the British, who have already been criticised in Australia on the ground that both their service and their development are slow. But only yesterday it was announced that Imperial Airways Limited is ordering a fleet of largo new flying boats, "50 to 60 per cent faster than the biggest existing Empire aeroplanes." The first is expocted to be ready in the middle of 1936. The Americans propose to inaugurate their service in July, 1936.

Need these two services be rival and competitive? The passenger traffic offering would probably bo divided naturally according to the passengers' destinations. But it would seem that competition for the mails is certain to develop. Pan-American Airways asks no contribution from New Zealand now, but if after a year it became obvious that mails could be transported to London faster and more regularly via America than via Australia and India, there would inevitably arise a demand that tho faster service bo utilised —• and for that New Zealand would have to pay. It goes without saying that this Dominion wishes to continue in close co-operation with Britain and tho other Empire countries in all things, but if we can have two services, and encouragement of the American will not jeopardise tho success of the British, the opportunity represented by the ot?or of PanAmerican Airways should not be lightly rejected,