ANGLO-AMERICAN AIR ALLIANCE?

Southland Times, Issue 23407, 14 January 1938, Page 7

ANGLO-AMERICAN AIR ALLIANCE?

Proposal For Safer Pacific Flying ROUTE FROM CANADA TO NEW ZEALAND DOMINION SERVICE NOT TO BE ABANDONED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received January 13, 8.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 13. One result of the loss of the Samoan Clipper may be closer co-operation between British and American interests to make air routes between the United States and the Dominions, particularly down the Pacific, safer and surer. The question is even asked: Can ocean flying suffer another loss without losing public support? . It is felt that Pan-American Airways and Imperial Airways should study not only the .technical side of the question, but the suitability of other i outes which would tie up the Empire and the United States with an intricate system of joining and landing facilities. This would not necessarily interfere with the all-British routes. It is believed, for instance, that a LondonAustralasia course should be explored by way of Bermuda, British Guina and Christmas Island, with an American feeder line by way of New York to

Bermuda. This route would supplement the London-Canada route.

The loss of the Samoan Clipper has placed Pan-American Airways in the position of being, at least temporarily, without aircraft to continue the New Zealand service.

The New York Times states that the disaster has caused discussions in aviation circles at Honolulu about the possibility that British interests will take the opportunity to establish the longprojected air line from New Zealand to Canada by way of Hawaii. Imperial Airways has received assurances of landing privileges and facilities at Hawaii and Christmas Island. Moreover, this, it is considered, will give the Empire route facilities potentially equal to the American ones.

Representatives of Pan-American Airways indicated, however, that they would not abandon the New Zealand line because “it was one of the most important for which the Sikorsky was built and delivered to Alameda (the Pan-American base at San Francisco) in February 1937.”