SPEEDIER SERVICES
EMPIRE AIR LINKS
INDIA IN TWO DAYS
In the House of Commons Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary, ' for Air, recently vigorously defended the Government's decision to entrust Empire air routes, including the • North Atlantic Service, to Imperial Airways, reports the "Daily Telegraph."
Accelerated and more frequent services were being planned, he said. By degrees they'would work ...up. to the following, schedule:—lndia, five services weekly, taking 2J. days; South Africa, two services weekly, taking 4J days; Australia, two services weekly, taking 6 or 7 days.
Five operating groups -have been invited to submit proposals for a South Atlantic service.
When all these were running, Sir Philip added, we should be operating air transport over 41,000 miles^—twice as much,as any other country except the United; States.
" The debate ' arose on. the money resolution authorising subsidies; up to a maximum of £1^500,000 a year till 1953, to companies providing 'air passenger and goods services.-
Sir Philip Sassoon .protested against
"charges amounting almost to corrup-' tion," of unfair discrimination in granting subsidies to aircraft . companies The Government policy of assigning Empire and North Atlantic communication to Imperial: Airways was/ he' claimed/justified by the . company's record for safety, rejiability, ana maximum traffic at minimum .cost iri: subsidy. UNFAIR CRITICISM. , Its critics were able to see nothing but failure in British, nothing but success in foreign air transport: Theii\ unfair presentation of the case' was seized on abroad and used for antiBritish propaganda. _ | The Empire rouies would probably absorb £600,000 of the £1,500,000 a' year subsidy. The hew scheme gave an eightfold" increase of ton milage' for an increase.in subsidy of only £30,000*
If there were no subsidies Empire services would terminate forthwith. He admitted that Imperial Airways might be reconstituted on the lines of the 8.8.C.V.. but that would be impossible; for a lonE'time. >
Mr. T.. Johnston, the Socialist spokesman, approved of the concentration of services under. Imperial Airways, and agreed that the 'Soor had been "partly closed" against such nnanciHl ramps as those over air services in the United States.
To this he added his p'arty's usual demand for nationalisation^
Mr. Mander asked that consideration should be given to a service down the West African coast, predicting that, if
there was no British line, there' might be a German one. ' ' PLEA FOR THE AIRSHIP. ' Captain Guest described his com- , fortable experience ot trip.in the , German airship Hindenburg." He assured the House that he would rather travel by it to America' than' by "any aeroplane. ■■ The United States had official 'observers on board. Why had not we? ; It was stated that Dr. Eckeiier,' the' . commander, had been told "not to go • too close to London." He did' not , -understand, why. -.. ..... Sjr Samuel Hoare believed that our airship experiment would.'havebeen a . success had we persisted -in :it. • • , Colonel Moore-Brabazon^who was a . member of the committee which in- . vestigated the loss of the Rlol,~repiied that the inquiry had left him extreme,ly sceptical of the airship's future. - The Solicitor-General, Sir .Terence ; O'Connor, making-his first speech I since taking office, wound up' for the ; Government. They hopsd, he said, > that the subsidy, would accelerate the progress of air services 'to inde- ; pendence, and evoke a further response - from private enterprise., 1 All the experts were agreed that the [ Irish Free State would be the' only 1 practical site for a terminus • -for' the 1 . North Atlantic service.
The financial resolution was carried by 259 to 122.
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