MAILS BY AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 January 1920, Page 5

MAILS BY AIR.

LONDON TO AUSTRALIA, JOURNEY &F FIVE DAYS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Jan. 22, 10.15 p.m. London, Jan. 21. Speaking at a luncheon, given unto the Shapices of the Association of British Chambers of C-ommerce, Mr. Holt Thomas (one of the pioneers of commercial aviation), referring to commercial aerial communication, quoted Lord Fisher's dictum that a fleet could be sunk by torpedoes from aircraft. He asserted this was actually proved within tho last two months, when in a certain port every torpedo hit its mark, and no air craft had been hit. This emphasised the fact that aircraft was of primary importance. If a load of four hundred fi#st class mail matter could be carried to Paris at four shillings a pound, working out at just over a penny a letter, or a load of c-ight hundred pounds at a halfpenny, he was certain Australia could be brought within five days of London, flying night and day at a hundred milea per hour. Taking the cost from London to Paris at a halfpenny, the cost of a letter from London to Australia in four days would be about two shillings. The route would also serve France, Italy, Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. The establishment of an Imperial mail between Cairo and Karachi would, save eight days on the Indian mail, the extra postage with a guaranteed load being a few pence.— Cable Assn.