SOUTH POLE “SHORT CUT"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23706, 13 January 1939, Page 8

SOUTH POLE “SHORT CUT "

NEW AERIAL ROUTE AUSTRALIA VIA CAPE AND POLE (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Dec. 21. Plans for a "short cut” air route over the south polar circle that can cut the South Africa-Australia airline, by 10,000 miles and more than 10 days’ flying are revealed by a White Paper. In return for France's permission for British planes toi use Adelie Land, 1400 miles from the south pole, the Governments of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand agree that French planes shall 'be free to use British south polar territories. These include King George V Land and King Edward VII Land. „ , The distance from Capetown to Sydney over the new route is 6500 miles. The present route is 16,482 miles. The White Paper, entitled “Aerial Navigation in the Antarctic,” is brief. It records the exchange of notes between the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand Governments, and the French Government on October

25 In a note to M. Bonnet, the French Foreign Secretary, S,ir Eric Phipps, British Ambassador, says; "In their memorandum (Direction Politique) of the sth March last, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs were so good as to inform his Majesty’s Embassy that the Government of the Republic were prepared to recognise the free right of passage of British Commonwealth aircraft over Adelie Land on the understanding that reciprocal rights wouUl be accorded to French aircraft over British Commonwealth territories in the Antarctic. "I have the honour to state that his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Australia, and New Zealand accept an arrangement on the above-men-tioned basis. “ I have the honour to sugggest that the present note and your Excellency’s acknowledgment thereof shall be regarded as placing the understanding on record.” The reply is an acknowledgment of this Note.