ROUND-THE-WORLD POST

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14767, 5 October 1921, Page 2

ROUND-THE-WORLD POST

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT. REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE. :(By Telegraph.—Press Association). WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Minister of Defence has received word that two of the letters sent _ round the world westward by steamer for the purpose of comparison with an air mails service—one travelling via 3apan, Ceylon and England, and the other via New Zealand and England, both arrived in New York at 9 a.m. on August 22 —a coincidence which might not occur again once in a thousand times. ■ The letter sent eastward, via New Zealand, arrived in New York seven days later, but at the time of writing (August 29) the fourth letter sent eastward, via England, Ceylon and Japan, had not reached New York. The two westward-travelling letters occupied 2496 hours in transit. The delay in remailinp was four days, making the actual transit time 2400 hours. A dirigible making the journey at an average speed of 50 miles an hour would occupy less than 500 hours flying night and day'. An aeroplane would Bo it in the same time omitting night ■Dying. The air route round the world is 22,207 miles.