INTRA-IMPERIAL COMMUNICATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 125, 12 June 1937, Page 4

INTRA-IMPERIAL COMMUNICATION.

An announcement was nia.de by cable yesterday that an agreement had been reached between the British and Atistralian Govemments for a tri-weekly, instead of a bi-we,ekly, air-mail service between the United Kindom and the Com',£55> monwealth, to commence at the beginning of next year. This additiona! service, it is said, is not to involve the Australian Government in any increased expenditure and is to be operated at the same postage rates as the less frequent service. This voluntary movement on the part of the British Government is indicative of two things. In the first place, it shows pretty clearly the high value which the Old Country places upon facilities for rapid communication and transport between and among the different parts of the widely scattered Empire. On the other hand, it also indicates a complete confidence in the ultimate development of long-distanct aerial transport as an essential factor in the Empire 's commerciail and sociai life. It Is, of course, not only the Australian service that is being speeded up. The reticulation is being spread in all directions from the centre of thd weh. With India., Malaya, and South Africa the services are already well established, and preparations are now well on the way for instituting a regular service with Canada and, incidentally, with the United States. The only Imperial connection that, so far as Great Britain is concerned, is for the time being held in abeyance is that across the Pacifjic to link up Canada with New Zealand and Australia, thus completing the circuit. Even that, however, is in eventual and probabl^ not far distant contemplation, every care having been taken to see that Imperial rights are not prejudiced by the short-term arrangement that has been made for a trans-Pacific service to be operated from the United States. It will no doubt have also been noted by those infcerested here that it is in view to reduce very materially the time occupied in the Anglo-Australian flight, bringing it d-own . from ten to seven days, and it is, of course, with this service that we in New . .ealand are, for the time being at any rate, more directly and immediately concerned. In connection with it we have been led to understand that our own Govern- • ment has neeessary preliminaries in train for establishing a trans-Tasman service that will extend to this country the advantages of the Anglo-Australian service. All that was j awaited was, a definite finalising of the long-drawn negotiations between the British and Australian Governments. That point has now been reached, so that we may expect some definite movement for getting the trans-Tasman service into active operation. Whatever further details ma.y have required discussion must have had * full opportunity for settling while both the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers are in London and so in close contact with the British authorities. At the latest, therefore, and possibly at an earlier date, on Mr. Savage's return we shall have an announcement as to when the braneh Australia-New Zealand service will come into actual being. It is not to be overlooked that it is not only in connection with aerial services for the more distant parts of the Empire that a lively interest is just now being shown. Gable messages we have been receiving over the week show that an improvement in shipping services also is under serious consideration. Various specific suggestions have been put forward for meeting the keen competition with which British shipping has now to contend in the Bacific, but as yet no conclusions have been reached. The need, however, is being fully realised, and we may feel fairly well assured that ere very Ipng it will be filled, for there is evidently still plenty of finance available as well as the enterprising spirit to use it. / What may, however, occasion some delay is the concentration upon the programme of rearmament, with a special eye on strepgthening the Navy, always and every where the Empire 's first line of defence. Even more speedily than had been thought we have cabled word, since the foregoing was in type, of there being every good prospecet that by the end of the year the transTasman aerial link will have been fully forged and ready for connecting up with the Anglo-Australian service, a fact which is very much to the credit of ourown Government.