DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION

Southland Times, Issue 23394, 29 December 1937, Page 8

DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION

GREAT PART PLAYED BY AVIATION LINKING OF COUNTRIES OF EMPIRE BY AIR (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 28. “During the last two days we have had the privilege of entertaining in our own modest fashion some of the men of the'age,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) in proposing the health of Captain J. W. Burgess and the crew of the Centaurus at the Government dinner tendered to them this evening. Captain Edwin C. Musick and the members of the crew of the Pan-American Clipper also were present and the guests included /Major A. F. Purvis, representing the GovernorGeneral (Viscount Galway), Ministers of the Crown, members of Parliament, heads of the services and representatives of civic and commercial interests. The Prime Minister referred to the development of commercial aviation as one of the wonders of modern-civiliza-tion, but stated that Governments in all parts of the world had a duty to develop the gifts of science and mechanical invention in the interests of the people and not as instruments of destruction. The presence on Waitemata harbour of the Centaurus and the Samoa Clipper showed how well the American nation and the British Commonwealth of Nations could co-oper-ate in harnessing progress in aviation to the cause of international commercial relationships and friendship. “Airmen like Captain Burgess and his crew are playing a great part in the development of civilization,” Mr Savage said, “and it is up to the representatives of the people to see that proper use is made of the advantages which they place at our disposal. I can assure you that New Zealand will not lag behind in this respect.” GOODWILL FLIGHT Captain Burgess expressed gratitude on behalf of his crew and himself for the warmth of the welcome extended to them. Theirs was purely a goodwill flight, he said, but although he could not speak for the policy of the company, he personally hoped that before long much larger flying-boats _ would be coming to New Zealand, via Australia, and returning to England, via Canada, so that the whole Empire would be linked by air. “To me this home-com-ing has been the experience of a life time,” he said. Captain Burgess added that Great Britain was making amazing progress in the field of commercial aviation. There was proof that she led the world in the construction of flying-boats. Her military aircraft were unparalleled and he was sure it would not be long before her land aeroplanes for commercial purposes were developed to the same high standard. LETTER~AND RUG FOR PRESIDENT Air Mail Carried By • Clipper FRIENDLY GESTURE BY PRIME MINISTER ' (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 28. As a gesture of friendship from New Zealand to the United States of America, a letter of greeting, accompanied by a gift of a New Zealand travelling rug is being sent by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon M. J. Savage) to the President of the United States (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) by the first trans-Atlantic air mail, which will be carried from Auckland by the PanAmerican Airways Samoa Clipper. In his recent public speeches in Auckland the Prime Minister has emphasized the significance of having on the waters of Waitemata harbour at one time flying-boats of both Imperial Airways and Pan-American Airways. He has made it clear that New Zealand values highly the air link with the United States and this sentiment is fully expressed in his message to Mr Roosevelt the text of which' is as follows:— By this, the first direct air mail from New Zealand to the United States of America being carried by the Pan-American Airways Samoa Clipper, I have pleasure in sending to you my personal greetings. I welcome the establishment by this air service of more rapid communication across the Pacific as a further means of bringing the great American people and the people of this country into closer relationship and strengthening the ties of friendship and goodwill, which rightly and happily exist between them. May I ask you to accept as a memento of this occasion a rug of New Zealand manufacture which accompanies this letter, and also my good wishes for a bright and prosperous New Year. Arrangements for the despatch of the letter and the travelling rug were made tonight and on arrival in San Francisco they will be speedily forwarded to Washington for delivery to the President. LUNCHEON IN HONOUR OF CREW MEN FROM SAMOA CLIPPER PRESENT (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 28. Although the luncheon given by the Auckland Harbour Board today was in honour of Captain J. W. Burgess and the crew of the Centaurus, the men from the Samoa Clipper of Pan-Ameri-can Airways were not overlooked. Captain Edwin C. Musick and members of his crew in addition to Mr Harold Gatty, the New Zealand and Australian representative of the company, were all guests at the function. Among the other guests were Major A. F. Purvis, representing the Governor-General (Viscount Galway), the Minister of Marine (the Hon. P. Fraser), the At-torney-General (the Hon. H. J. R. Mason), the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), Rear-Ad-miral the Hon. E. R. Drummond, the Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis), GroupCaptain T. M. Wilkes, Controller of Civil Aviation, Flight-Lieutenant Lester, officer commanding the Hobsonville Air Base, Mr N. S. Falla, chairman of Union Airways and also chairman and managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr F. Maurice Clark, general manager of Union Airways. Both Captain J. W. Burgess, sen., father of the commander of the Centaurus and Captain D. Burgess, his older brother, were present and the guests also included representatives of shipping and commercial interests in the city.