The Wanganui Chronicle MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1935. PROBLEM FOR TRANSOCEANIC AIR SERVICES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 305, 30 December 1935, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1935. PROBLEM FOR TRANSOCEANIC AIR SERVICES

INTERCOMMUNICATION between the countries of the world, so much in the limelight at present by reason of the rapid development of air services, is often said to be the sure passport to world understanding. It ought to be, but a moment’s reflection is enough to make one wonder whether it is. The fact seems to be that simultaneously with the growth of communications the nations have been getting more self-centred. Such a twin development would appear to be paradoxical. . Communications should obviously break down mental barriers. The reason that they have not had this effect is that they have not been allowed to do so. There has been a counter influence at work—the wilful nationalism now suffusing the world. Nationalism has now reached the stage where it is actively impeding the space-shortening processes of the inventors. This has been one of the notable characteristics of the rise of aviation. Freedom of the seas is a long-cherished principle in international intercourse. Outside a narrow limit the high seas are open to everybody who wishes to sail on them. There never has been any freedom of the. air. Every nation has by treaty or by legislation taken the position that it owns and controls its own air space. This applies also to the air space over its territorial waters, and over its outlying possessions. The freedom to fly over the high seas is, consequently, valueless unless the flier has made prior arrangements for permission to fly over land. And in obtaining such permission rules and regulations have to be observed which vary with different countries. Permission is generally accorded on the basis of reciprocity. When Great Britain set out to fly to India, she had to come to an agreement with France, for France was not going' to give away the privilege of flying over French territory. The French wished to fly over India on the way to Indo-Uhina. So the privileges were simply bartered. The same bartering was done by Britain and Holland. Britain wished to extend its air line to Austarlia, but between India and Australia there lies the Dutch territory of Java. The Dutch gave the British permission to fly over Java on condition that the Dutch were allowed to fly over India. It is a good thing that all these nations are interested in aviation. Otherwise progress would have been held up by this insistence upon the projection of national sovereignty into the air. New Zealand is vitally interested in the recent aviation developments in the Pacific, which soon promise to bring her within three days of the American continent. But it is interesting to note that Pan-American Airways, in pioneering their Pacific service to China, was set a nice problem by the fact that this great nation of the Orient is one country that is not interested in aerial reciprocity. Hence the attitude of China was one of the most formidable obstacles in the path of the trail-blazing. The position of that country is not difficult to understand. If China “threw open its air’’ to Pau-American Airways it would have to extend the same privilege to Japan, and the relations between China and Japan at present prohibit such hospitality. The problem has been solved by making an arrangement to land at Macao. Macao is in southern China, but is a Portuguese settlement, which under an old treaty is relieved from subjection to Chinese authority. In this respect the so-called unequal treaties that have hitherto governed China’s relations with the world have served a good purpose. The significance and vital importance of the shortening of the time consumed in the conveyance of transoceanic mail, is demonstrated in the case of France and Germany, both of whose Governments are subsidising air lines across the South Atlantic, respectively connecting Germany and France with Brazil and I he South American trade, without any thought of ever carrying a passenger. Nor will they carry much cargo. The ships are designed for the purpose of carrying mail. This is the real significance of the amazing development in transoceanic aerial navigation, but of the difficulties against its expansion is the nationalism which threatens to become even more intense.