FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

Evening Star, Issue 17225, 15 December 1919, Page 8

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

POTJLET AT RANGOON-. HIS EXCITING STORY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, Decemb&r 12. The newspaper ' Sa-rto' says that M. Poulet is returning to Paris by the air in order to prepare for a tour round the world in a competition organised by the American Aero Club. Much anxiety is felt regarding M. Poulet. The last nevre of him was contained in a cablegram to SI. Caudron, dated December 3, from Bangkok, mentioning the, bad condition of his' petrol tank. Tt is believed that Poulet, rater leaving Bangkok, was obliged to land at a spot •remota from telegraph communication. 'The Times.' PARIS, December 12. Poiilet's adventures make strange reading, "be .Matin' publishes an account which states that, the, Frenchman, regarded his tumble--) as normal until, between Valona and Salonika-, he nearly ran into a peak 2,400 metres high, near Dedeagatch A sudden storm beat Poulet to the earth, and he flew dange-rously at a height of 150 ft from ih.e ground. Owing to the absence of petrol at Konia (Anatolia), and Ad-ana (Levant), he took in supplies of castor oil. He Buffered ■severely from the heat in Mesopotamia, and was forced to land in the middle of She desert of Chaba*:, where Baluchis. armed to the teeth, surrounded and threatened him. "After ii. great to do the Sultan extended his protection over us," writes Poulet, " though we did net understand a word each other said. I did not like the -surroundings, and ive kept an eye open all tihrough. tho night. We only got a handful of rice ar/,( some water which Parisians would not have drunk for a hundred thousand francs." Poulet found Karachi excited, owing to the report that lie had fallen into the sen. Tha British authorities sent post haste to the spot, and found it was a whale stranded by the tide. PARIS, December 13. Poulet is still at Rangoon. POULET .MAY PERSEVERE. ALLAHABAD, December 14 Ft is reported from Mov.lrne.in that Poulet has decided to make a final attempt to continue his flight: He will leave Moulmein for Bangkok on Mondav ii' the weather is suitable! Auitrslian and N.Z. Cable Association. THE LAGGARD. LONDON, December 12. Matthews was not allowed to secure petrol at Belgrade, and is pushing on to Bucharest. lie does not intend to return to England, being determined to reach Australia. ROSS SM ITU HKTS OUT FROM DARWIN'. DARWTX, December 15. Boss Smith has left for Newcastle Waters (Queensland). He is expected to reach Cloncurry -on .Suudav. Interviewed regarding the possibility of a commercial aerial service between Eng land and Australia, Ross Smith suggested .1 divi.-ion of the route into sections, as follows :—London • to Cairn, Calcutta, .Singapore, Darwin, and Melbourne. The first stage, with the co-operation of Britain, France, and Italy, could easily be arranged. The next stage, Cairo to "Calcutta, is already being considered ;bv the Indian Covernment, who contemplate the establishment of an aerial mail in the near future, and are arranging to erect aerodromes. Between Singapore and Java the Dutch Government have construi-ted an aerodrome at Banka Island (south-east <>f Sumatra;. There are, also some good aerodromes in Western Java, but the one at -Soiu-abaya is unsuitable. Captain Smith favors seaplanes in preference to aeroplanes for a portion of the r-iite. owing to the necessity of following the coast, where suitable seaplane harbors exist, but there is no auod landing-place tor aeroplanes. Captain Smith thinks that the danger of aenal attack from Asia, is very real. There would lie no need for pianos to travel lung distances, iiiey could ."imply be released from a parent aerodrome ship, to which they would return after their deadly work v.-as accomplished. A NIGHT IX THE BCSH.

r . DARWIN. December 14. Owmg_ to engine trnublu Cautain Ross Smith was forced to hud in'the where he spent the nitiht, shortly after leaving lianvm. He proceeded south nc-;t daw