JAPAN IN THE AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 8

JAPAN IN THE AIR

It is not obvious at first sight why, in commenting on the Tokio-London flight of the Japanese airmen in their aeroplane "Divine Wind," the surviving winner of the MildenhallMelbourne air race, Mr. C. W. A. Scott, should say, according to the cable message: "Our Melbourne flight is not comparable with this marvellous effort, which shows what commercial aviation will achieve in the future." The record of Scott and the late Campbell Black for the 12,000 and odd miles from Britain to Melbourne was 2 clays 22 hours 58 minutes, whereas the Japanese took 3 days 22 hours 18 minutes for their 10,000-mile flight from To'kio. Thus Scott's speed in the air was con-

siderably faster; so also was that of the Dutch airmen, Parmentier and Moll, in the big Dougkrs passenger machine. On the other hand, the Britain-Australia airway is a beaten track compared with the route taken by the "Divine Wind," at least as far as India, and it may be' that this fact prompted Scott's generous praise for the Japanese airmen. It is the fashion of commercial aviation to condemn anything in the nature of "stunt" flying, but it is "stunt" flying that nearly always pioneers an air route for commercial aviation. The flights of the late Kingsford Smith and his followers all over the world were the direct forerunners of commercial air lines and the Melbourne air race had the effect of speeding up commercial flying everywhere. Sd- possibly with the Tokio-London achievement. Japan is rather' off the track of the world's airways at present. The . performance of the "Divine Wind" and its gallant pilots will not only greatly raise the prestige of Japan in the air, but will probably result in Japan's inclusion in the near future within the network of the world's ainyays.