DELAY OF EMPIRE AIR MAIL SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 4, 6 January 1938, Page 7

DELAY OF EMPIRE AIR MAIL SCHEME.

CAUSTIC CRITICS.

Contrast With Progress of

Americans.

«CEMENTING THE BONDS."

United Press Association.—Copyright,

(Received 1 p.m.)

LONDON", January 5,

The "News Chronicle," in a leading article, says that Mr. Hudson Fysh "spilt the beans" about the delay of the Empire air mail scheme. Over three years ago the scheme was announced with a flourish of trumpets, but is so far working only on the England-South African route.

Mr. Fysh blames the Air Ministry for the delay, and the Air Ministry does not take the blame, but makes no effective reply.

"What is certain," says the paper, "is that the full service will not possibly be operated till next summer, yet a bi-weekly service between America and Sew Zealand will open to-morrow.

"How is this for 'cementing the bonds of Empire'?" the paper asks.

Summarising the Government's air proposals in May, 1935, the Under-Secretary for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon, said that Imperial Airways. Ltd., aimed at operating a two-day service to India, four or five times weekly; a 2%-day service to East Africa, three times weekly; a fourday service to Singapore, three times weekly; a four-day service to the Cape, twice weekly; and a seven-day service to Australia, twice weekly.

The following month, according to the London "Daily Sketch," £1,000,000 was to be spent in two years equipping the England-to-Australia air route for continuous day and night flying in preparation for inauguration of the service in 1937.

With regard to the New Zealand air mart from England it was stated in July, 1935, that plans indicated that by 1937 five machines would leave England each week, two of them for New Zealand. Two land aeroplanes would terminate in India and one flying boat in China, via Bangkok and Borneo.