Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, 1937. PACIFIC AIRWAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 221, 18 August 1937, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, 1937. PACIFIC AIRWAYS.

A recent cablegram from Washington gave a gloomy impression of the negotiations proceeding between the New Zealand Government and Pan-American Airways for the inauguration of the San Francisco-Auckland service. The hitch, which the correspondent of the Australian Press Association said might lead to the termination of the negotiations, apparently centres round the issue whether Imperial Airways should be allowed to maintain virtually a competitive New Zealand-North American service with Pan-American Airways. The Dominion Government, it was said, was insisting that Imperial Airways should be given landing rights at Honolulu and' San Francisco so that New Zealand passengers may be carried across the American continent. The latter point has been known for some time, the Government rightly holding that there should be reciprocal rights. The agreement between Pan-Ame-rican Airways and the authorities at this end contains the essential clause, and it would happily appear from the statement of Hon. W. Nash, who discussed the matter in the United States, that there is no serious hitch as believed. Every discussion, he states, was amicable and reasonable, and his interviews were with the American Government and the company. He has no reason to believe that the arrangements for the inauguration of the service will not be continued, and the details have to be considered by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Transport, and himself. The conversations the Minister had in Washington with Government officials would concern the reciprocal facilities to be granted to Imperial Airways, for while the previous negotiations have been conducted between the company and the Dominion Government once rights are sought for landing in American territory the matter becomes one for Washington to deal with. The flight of the clipper aeroplane from San Francisco to Auckland and back showed the feasibility of a regular service, besides providing the company with much valuable necessary data. Lately, trial flights have been made in both directions across the North Atlantic by machines belonging to the leading companies on each side of that ocean. The British plan is eventually for passengers and mails to be flown across the Atlantic, thence across Canada to Vancouver, and down the Pacific Ocean to Auckland and thence to Australia, functioning with the service from England to Sydney via the East. Naturally, a good deal of pioneering work remains to be, performed by Imperial Airways on the Pacific section, unless it follows the Pan-American route

under agreement with, the United States and the company. The matter, it will be observed, goes a good deal farther than the mere inauguration of a service from San Francisco to Auckland, for the New Zealand Government has Imperial interests and Empire policy to bear in mind, and the American authorities their laws which do not facilitate the carriage of passengers between national airports in other than their own machines. There are also other considerations such as defence and the training of pilots. Pan-American Airways, at the same time, would not favour competition during the early stages of its service. That there are important matters yet to be settled is perhaps indicated in the Minister’s view that the service may not be in operation by the end of this year.