AIR MAIL FROM ENGLAND.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20428, 24 December 1931, Page 9

AIR MAIL FROM ENGLAND.

INDEFINITE DELAY. SOUTHIIftN STAR BADLY DAMAGED. (CNITBD PRESS ASSOCtiTIOK—BI *LtCT»IC TELEGRAPH —COP TRIG ST.) LONDON", December S2. Air Commodore C. E. Kinggford- . Smith's return has been delayed indefinitely. No other machine ii available, so lift must await repairs to the Southern Star. The damage it apparently more severe thaft Was at flfit thought. Pending a decision, the Post Office is holding 70,000 letters addressed Australia and New Zealand. Although Kingsfofd-Smith is hopeful Of being able to start •within a week, the engineers are of opinion that he is too optimistic, as the whole fuselage must be dismantled and tebuilt. Even if the overhaul dUelft&eS Ad Other damage, this cannot be completed in under thteo weeks. Normally it takes The Dutch Air Lifte has offered to take the mail to Batavift, where it Could be picked up by a machine from Australia, and Imperial Airways has volunteered to take it to Karachi on December 26th. , KingSford-Smith, while gratefully acknowledging their generosity, declare# it is unnecessary. He says he ctft have a test flight -within a Week, reach Sydney within three. NO OFFICIAL ENQUIRY. (Received December 23rd, 7.0 p.m.) IiOND6N, Dec6i&ber 23. Repairs to the Southed Stat Will be facilitated by the Air Ministry's deciii64 iibt to held an enquiry aS is customary before a wicked aero{rtano is moved, officials regarding the nature of the I accident as clearly apparent.