LINKING NATIONS BY AIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17327, 26 November 1919, Page 9

LINKING NATIONS BY AIR.

THRESHOLD OF NEW ERA. ! ( BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS. LONDON. Nov. 8. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce to-day presented an aeroplane to South Africa. j Mr. Blankenberg. Acting High Coml missioner, who returned thanks, after remarking that the gift embodied the spirit of goodwill of the people of England to the people of South Africa, referred to tße steps at present being taken to map out a transcontinental route from England to Capetown. He declared that an All-Red route in Africa was now, for the first time, possible, as the British Empire included the whole of Eastern Africa. This fact made a transcontinental air route of the utmost importance to the Empire as a whole. Major-General Sir Frederick Sykes, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, said that General Smuts had not exaggerated when, two and a-half years ago, he pre- , dieted that the aeroplane would prove | one of the most potent instruments of | peace, and would open up new vistas in ■ the progress of the human race. "I bej lieve," proceeded General Sykes, "that 'we are standing on the threshold of a new er.a, and its spirit cannot bo better svmbolised than by the advance of aviation. "Aviation is the antithesis of Chauvinism. Much of the mutual antagonism between different races has been due to lack of easy communication, and consequent "misunderstanding. Cables and wireless have only partially broken down the walls between i tions. Aviation will do more, for it will afford <rwift opportunities for intercourse between living -personalties. When the civilised world is intersected by a svstem of air routes nations will learn that it will be as absurd to declare war on one another as it would be for Birmingham to declare war on Crewe."