AVIATION CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20087, 26 October 1928, Page 12

AVIATION CONFERENCE.

NEW ZEALAND INVITED.

GATHERING AT WASHINGTON. ALL NATIONS REPRESENTED. (JJY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. Official delegates appointed by the New Zealand Government and unofficial delegates appointed by the newly-formed aero clubs aro invited to attend the lllternationel Aeronautical Conference to be held at Washington, commencing on December 11, and lasting three weeks. "Every aero club in the Dominion may nominate delegates to this conference, and my Government instructs mo to extend an invitation to the aero clubs to do so," said Mr. Julian B. Foster, the American trade commissioner for New Zealand, to-day. "1 hope they will nominate delegates immediately. "So important is this conference," said Mr. Foster, "that Squadron-Leadcr Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm have cabled me that they aro arranging their itinerary to ensure their being in Washington throughout tho whole of tho timo the conference is in session-

"Tho conference is not going to bo an aviators' reunion, where air pilots will recount personal experiences. It will bo an assembly of aviation authorities for tho purpose of pooling and interchanging ideas regarding all tho problems which confront the respective countries in regard to air transportation. Delegates will be present from all countries, including all tho British overseas Dominions.

"Aids to navigation is another subject which will probably be dealt with. Legislation regarding aeroplanes and aviation generally will also doubtless be discussed, and it is almost a certainty that there will be some attempt to arrive at uniformity in dealing with customs and passport procedure." Official delegates would doubtless be drawn from the Civil Service. They would not necessarily be airmen, but rather Government executive officers capable of taking a comprehensive hold on the aviation problem in all its phases in relation to the Government and the community. It bhould be borne in mind that tho conference was to consider civil aviation, not military

Asked whether the New Zealand Government had appointed official delegates Mr. Foster said he had submitted tliQ invitation to tho Prime Minister. "But," he added, "Mr. G'oates is a very busy man just now. "Tho United Stales Government is making arrangements for all delegates, official and unofficial, to bo provided with, free transportation by air from New York to Chicago, about 1000 miles, at which city is to be held the aeronautical show, which will precede the conference. "In order to help tho Department oif Commerce to complete these arrangements. [ would appreciate it if all visiting delegates would communicate with mo immediately. Their names will be a:!, once cabled to Washington, so that full arrangements can be made for their accommodation there."