South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-24
Assistant TO BurleSon Re-
views Possibilities of New
Form of Transportation
Applied to POStOffiCe.
- LoTIs LUDLOW.


ord assistant postmaster general
who has charge OF this branch OF
the development OF the postal de-
Iartment.
.'If congress viii give the money
we viii put the air mail next year
from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific In
40 hours instead Of four days" de-
cared Mr. Praeger.
This saving Of more than two
days Do transportation Of trans
continental mail, which would
mean so much TO the business and
commercial world. is not theoreti-
CAL but entirely practical. the sec
ond assistant postmaster general
said As an earnest Of what can be
accomplished an shortening the time
az postal service from ocean 10
ocean ne pointed out what already
is being done.
Present Service Afforded.
AN aeroplane with 1900 let
ters flies out Of New York city at .
every morning for Cleveland and
Chicago" he said arriving al
Cleveland before $3.50 a. m. and at
ing the mail 20 the middle west rs
hours and 10 the Pacific coast "a
hours From Chicago and Cleve-
land eastward there is similar ex-
pediiOn Of mail to New York city
and New England"
The postmaster general is re-
ceivinc applications from cities i'm
Indiana and other states which de-
sire aerial mail service. In some
instances cities have gone ahead on
their own volition and have estab-
Hshed landing fields at considerable
expense. hoping in that way TO at
tract the service. on that point the
second assistant postmaster general
said
While the prospect IS bright let
us not deceive ourselves as 10 the
practical possibilities OF the air
mail The aerOplane service is not
set for every enterprising cOmmun-
fry that reaches out after II by Of
faring landing fields and other in
ducements.
Service still Costly.
The service. because the aero
plane up 10 this time has been de-
veIoped for war instead of for COM
merce, is so costly that as yet it can
be established only between the
largest commercial and railway cen
ters where it can expedite the
largest amount Of mail TO the largest
number OF people.
THE day will come. but it is not
vet. when the air mail viii operate
between an of the important cities
in the United States That viii he
the day when the aeroplane either
can light gently OF any ground. like
lird. instead OF gliding out Of the
air at a speed OF 90 miles an hour
or when il will be so well powered
hy multiple motors that It will not
become necessary To- make forced
landings and finally the postofiice
department succeeds In getting our
manufacturers 20 build truly com
marcill planes that cannot crash to
the earth in tail spin"
Tells OF Record.
I'm speaking Of the wonderful rec
oij that has been made in carrying
the malls by aeroplane through an
sorts OF weather. Mr.. Praeger said.
With the meager appropriations
at the disposal Of the postofhce de
partment. enormous development i'm
aviation has been made by the
civilian organization that operates
the air mail Not only do we carry
the mail between Washington and
New York in two and a half hours
daily instead OF five hours by train.
AND In nine hours between New
York and Chicago by aeroplane in
stead Of % hours 10y train. but the
IostothCe department has made
scientific and mechanical contrihu-
tiors 20 aviation and has operated
sncn a dependable service that Eu-
ropeau and American authorities
have unhesitatingly pronounced the
o.. .rations Of our aerial mail far
sIead OF anything in the whole
realm OF aviation.
Laughed ut Efforts.
When the postofice department
inaugurated the aerial mail dele
cation of military men connected
with flying operations called or me
accompanied by a colonel Of the
British air force. 20 dissuadc the
postoaice department from at
tempting 70 run daily aeroplaue
mail schedule Ca the ground that
aeroplanes cannot be flown be rain
or fog But we operated the en-
tire first year scoring perform
ance Of 92.73 percent, ,:espite
weather and frailties OF aeroplane
construction We are flying the
mail daily across the Allegheny
mountains between New York and
cleveland. while the flying record OF
the postonice department bstveen
Cleveland and Chicago has never
been equaIled by aviators in any
part OF the world. whether r-<iitary
or civilian The air mail distance
between Cleveland and Chicago Is
ge5 miles This distance is covered
daily each way in a nonstop fight
with approximately $4,000 letters
each trip. or $4,000 letters. weigh
ing GOO pounds. day- This great
run has been made daily since May
IL without a single failure and,