AIR SERVICES

Hokitika Guardian, 6 June 1930, Page 5

AIR SERVICES

EXTENSION TO AUSTRALIA

REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY. June 3

The Secretary for Air, Lord Thomson, made a statement in the House oi l.ords regarding onil aviation. He said

that Imre in this small island avu could not develop civil aviation to quite the same extent as in the larger countries where, the eoniinunicatioius were not so good, (in the other hand, we had a farilung Empire Avliieh we could only reach by crossing other people’s territory.

and to do that we had to enter into a variety of agreement Avith the Governments of other countries. He explained that there were differnc-es in the various countries regarding tli interpretation of the freedom of the air as defined by the International Convention This country, lioAvever, had not bad the least difficulty in reaching agreements Avith those countrios over Avliieh the air route to India passed. Italy took a more restricted interpretation of the freedom of the /air. The difficulty of reaching a satisfactory arrangement Avith Italy Avas due to the fact that Ave could not find a basis (for reciprocity because Ave bad nothing to give Italy in return for tlie privileges Ave .enjoyed oil Italian territory. Tn the meantime the position Avas not bad at all. The Mid-European or Balkan air route to India Avas functioning with remarkable success and punctuality.

The Empire bad hoav 23,360 miles of air mutes in regular operation. As a people avc were rather apt to decry our oAvn aehieA’ements, hut Ave had the second largest mileage in air routes in the Avorld, second only to the United State* of America. Our services Avere manned by the finest machines and certainly by many of the best pilots in the Avorld. It was a'feature of Continental air travel that passengers always tried to iiy in British machines Avlienever there was a choice. That Avas a tribute to our ground organisation, our pilots, and tlie eilorts taken to avoid risks arising from faulty structure. The developments in air services hoav being arranged Avere the extension of the Indian route to Australia, which it Avas hoped to have in operation by the end of nejet year, and a service through Africa from Cairo to Cape Toavu. The latter Avould be completed as fa’r as the Great Lakes in Central Africa at the end oT this year, and Avould be extended to Cape Town by tlie spring of 1931. Finally, aa'6 ivere hoav beginning to see light in the opening up of Atlantic ainvays with the co-operation of the Canadian Government.

Referring to airships, Lord Thomson reminded the Holihe that the building of these ships' Avas an experiment, The final stages of that experiment avou ld be made at the end of this month by a flight to Canada. There was going to be no risk, Avliile lie Avas in charge, of anything being rushed so that lives might be lost through lack of foresight.

Lord Thomson paid a tribute to the magnificent work done by the airship men who had sacrificed promotion and other advantages in order to underlake these great experiments. People asked why the Graf Zeppelin could go round the world, while our two ships remained in their sheds. The reason was that the Germans' had thirty years of experience behind them, hut with all their experience their Zeppelins could not be compared with RIOO and RlOl. Despite many setbacks and some disappointments, his faith was absolutely undimmed and was sure the people of this country would he right in continuing these experiments on the basis of research alone.