BRITAIN TO JAPAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1923, Page 1

BRITAIN TO JAPAN.

AIR ROUTE OYER NORTH DOLE. ,'JOOd .MILES SHORTER. The dirigible trip over the North and South Poles is perfectly feasible and is bound to be made in the noni lulu re, aicording to V illija Innir Stel iaiisson. the explorer and author ol ‘TPhe Friendly Artie,” and other books on the Ear North. The explorer, win is a Canadian, and who two years ago sent a parly i. Wrangell Island, in the Arctic north of Siberia, to occupy it as a. British air base, discussed its strategic value recently. With further development- of flying, -Mr Steiausson ; s-ei'tud, Wrangell would become the key point of air strategy in the An tic, (.in the question of trans-polar air commerce, Mr Stefaiisson said:--"lii crossing the, Atlantic the dirigiUe or any (lying craft has to compete uii.li ocean liners; lint in crossing the polar area ihcie is no competition with

any other form of transport, except lor the possible ‘development ol the submarine which has la ,-n sugge-tm In.- various writers, including Sun- n bal.e and my.-elf. "I l you lo.'L on a. globe you will see liiul iko shorte-i roiiio belvoun Great Britain and Japan lies m-re.-s the North Polar aiea. Tho dilfuronco is (listnsec between llmt rout- ami llio shortest .1 :• i|v. ay and si.-ai.mr mule by Ihe j',-,!!!-_S iI ei lan railway is about 30U1 miles. Then, ill the summer there are oilier inmoi'iaiii ad van i a wes. Perhaps 1 1:.- lues; impel rant is e. utinuod day-

| ; If \;u ! ':\ 0 I'. 1J }ll illll in t! 1C early nunni-P, pomp north. you will rc-.ich the region oi the midnight: sun he!< <i- your iilM sun sol. Von will not leave the continual daylight until you approach Japan; so lluil. ovon ul a speed no greater tlnm that ol' K.'il. there will I o mils' on' night s tinrl-:-uuss in tlio wliolo journey. stn:l by oaroi'ul manoeuvring. yi u would probably avoid oven that.

‘"fli is will lut vo a prael ioiil advantage in any kind ol irntiie. including toon ist. Tlio sew lid point is tlial the jumps ato all sliort. tlio longest being loss llian -It;;) miles between possible supply stations. 1 noiilo'.itally, an important advantage of otmtimions daylight is tlio proven lion of loss ol pats. ‘•yoars 1 i-r‘in no"." predicts .Mr Stol-ans-on. ‘'tvhon Siberia and Canada are colon isod to a great extent, tin' air coniinnnirauon will be ranch, more important. The development will I o ol immediate importance to Alaska, Canada. and Northern Europe- and Japan.'