ROSS-SMITH'S OPINION

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 143, 15 December 1919, Page 5

ROSS-SMITH'S OPINION

STAGES AND THEIR FEATURES

DANGER OF ASIATIC ATTACK.

(DMIIED PRISS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.)

DARWIN, 13th December

Captain Boss-Smith has left for .Newcastle Waters (Queensland). He is expected to reach Oloncurry on Sunday. Interviewed' regarding the possibility of a. commercial aerial service between England and Australia, he suggested the division of the route into sections, as follows: —London to Cairo. Cairo to Calcutta, Calcutta to Singapore, Singapore to Darwin, Darwin to Melbourne. Ths first stage, with the co-operation of Britain. France, and Italy, should easily bo arranged. The next stage, Cairo to Calcutta, is already being considered by the Indian Government, -which is contemplating the establishment of an aerial mail in the near future, and is arranging to erect aerodromes from "Calcutta onwards. Owing to the junglo and swamp between Singapore and Java the Dutch Government has constructed an aerodrome in Banka Island. There are also some good aerodromes in Western Java, but the one at Sourabaya is unsuitable.

Captain Ross-Smith favours seaplanes in preference to aeroplanes for a portion of the route, owing to the necessity for following the coast, where there are suitable sea-plane harbours, but no good landing-place for aeroplanes. He thinks that the danger of an aorial attack from Asia is very real. There would be no need for aeroplanes to travel long distances. They could simply be released from parent aerodrome ships, to which they would return after their deadly work was accomplished.