Evening star., 1924-07-10
COast-to-COast Mail Route
Marks New Flying Era

Another chapter in the history of
aviation opened when the transconti-
mental air mail service between New
York and San Francisco became an
established fact. This successful ac-
complishment marks a new era in
American flying, in the opinion of
the nations press, and should be a
stimulus to the development and ex-
pansion of aerial service.
The government. the New York
Evening Post suggests, Should lead
the way in the development Of this
new means of transportation, which
is capable of such large possibilities,
and all the people should be willing
to foot part of the bill, even though
there should be no Immediate return
upon the investment" for "the ex-
pansion of aerial travel and COM
merce will benefit the whole nation.
and we have been slower than others
in starting" AS the Chicago Tribune
puts 1t, "transcontinental service in
thirty-three hours is q new age" II
the development Of aviation had
achieved no other purpose than that
of more rapid mail deliveries" the
San Francisco Bulletin declares, "all
that has been spent upon 1t would
have been more than warranted. and
in the course of time all OF 1t will
The New York Herald Tribune
points out: 'Tt is now possible to drop
letter into a post box at Times square
at breakfast time in the fuli conn
denoe that it will be read IN San
Francisco before dinner on the fol-
lowing evening"" which 'fs all very
remark able; but the Congratulations
to the Post once Department must
be accompanied with some surprise
whole. so backward in the Develop
ment of commercial aviation"
X 4 + +
How important this time elimina-
ton will prove in commercial trans
actions, and particularly in banking,
where the time element has been a
source of great loss" the Cleveland
Plain Dealer claims, 'is still too early
to say. but with banks in Cleveland
and Detroit contemplating the estab-
llishment of their own services in or
der to avoid losses due to delay in
the mails between these points and
New York, it is highly probable that
the transcontinental service Will
ness and to bankers all the way from
ono coast to the other" II the federal
hank officials in New York ARE cor
rect in saving that this service Will
take a quarter Of D billion dollars out
of transit idleness and make 1t active
capital" the St Louis Post-Dispatch
asks. sswhat win be the economic ef-
feet when the whole country has an
afr mail service?"
"if business men make use of the
privileges it Offers the Davenport
Democrat holds, at ought not to be
long before contracts are let for
many connecting lines which will
extend the system to all parts OF the
country" AS the charges seem to be
confident 1.-The air mail service should
be wen patronized," because s24 cents
for a letter to San Francisco that will
be delivered the next day after leav-
ing New York is certainly not ex-
orbitant, and 1t will be surprising if
there is not rush Of business for
the mail planes" The Salt Lake
Deseret News insists "it certainly
makes a. strong appeal for expanding
and developing the nations air equip
ment" While direct government
operation has given the whole world
an object lesson in what can be
done," the Boston Transcript believes
the .transcontinental route should not
only continue to be operated in the
present way, but 'it should be 1foer-
ally supplemented by cooperation Of
the government with private fnitia-
tive and that is likely to come if
American business men, by making
liberal use OF the present service dam
onstrate their desire to avail them-