DESERT .MOTOR MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1923, Page 2

DESERT .MOTOR MAIL.

LONDON. June f>. A contract to carry mails across the Syrian desert between Haifa, the Palestine port, anil Baghdad, by motorcar. has been granted by the Iraq Government to Air Norman Nairn, an adventurous New Zealander who has organised a desert motor transport service which has revolutionised travel l>ctween Egypt. Palestine, and Alosopotamia. The time of transit for letters between London and Baghdad will he reduced from 21 to 8 days. Since 1921 Air Nairn's desert express service has been daily carrying the mails hetweenu Haifa and Beirut, a distance ot .110 miles, and delivers the Egyptian mail 10 hours instead of the 3 To -1 days required under the old conditions. He also carries numbers of tourists between Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Palmyra, under conditions which were undreamed of four years ago. Air Nairn recently made two trial trips across the desert to Baghdad, which convinced him that it would he possible to carry on a regular transport service between Baghdad and the Mediterranean ports, whence the railway runs to Egypt. To this end he designed special cars, fitted with condensers which will run water to the radiators. His aim is now to establish a weeklyservice between Baghdad and Haifa via Damascus, thus "bringing Port Said within a three days’ journey of Baghdad.