Evening star., 1928-12-12

proximately $500 miles of airways, on
which during the first six months of the
year nearly three and a quarter million
miles were flown on regular schedule.
The daily mileage is estimated at $4,000
miles. We have three important inter-
national lines-New York to Montreal,
Seattle to Vancouver, and Miami to
Havana. Plans to extend the latter to
the Isthn1us and South America are
unoer way. The transportation COM
panies have been taxed far beyond their
equipment. A recent and important de-
velopment has been the linking of the
airplane and the transcOntinental rail-
WAYS, providing a rapid journey between
distant points. The airplane is used
for fast day travel with transfer to
a railroad for the night journey.
"The nineteenth century was the
railroad and steamboat age. The twen-
tieth century will be known for the
development of aeronautics and air
transport. The airways of the world
now have a greater mileage than the
railways did in 1850, the twenty-flfth
anniversary of the opening of the first
railroad built by Stephenson. Atten-
ton has recently been called to the
safety. of air passenger service COM
pared with that of railroads In the
early days. In 1927. the Imperial Air
ways Ltd. carried $4,000 passengers
over 2.500,000 miles without injury to
a single passenger. In 1842 eight Eng
lish railways, carrying 10,503 passen-
gers over 3652,338 miles, killed % and
injured 81 others.
Lindy's Flight Praised.
1.-THE countrywide tour of Lindbergh
in the United States, following his wor-
derful and spectacular flight to Paris,
did much to make America air-minded.
A large amount of civil flying is now
being done here, and the civilian-oWned
aircraft number more than 5000.
THE aeronautic branch of our De-
partment of Commerce is vigilant, re-
sourceful and progressive. 1t has inau-
gurated a comprehensive system of regu-
lation an control of aircraft manufac-
ture as well as operation. Airways are
laid out over the best flying country, and
aids to flying, such as beacons and
weather reports, are furnished. Oue
transcontinental airway from New York
to San Francisco is more than 1900 miles
long. More than 5000 additional miles of
airWay are under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Commerce. An air in
formation service is maintained and
the Bureau of Standards. Valuable CO.
operation is rendered in the establish
ment and equipment of airports. On
october / 1887 ports were available for
the use of the Army, Navy and COM
mercial flyers. municipalities and COM
munities in all parts of the country,
realizing that air contacts mean more
and better business, are planning air.
ports. Nearly 900 more are now in
prospect
Air transport means much to the
United States, divided as it is in the
West by lofty mountain ranges and
deserts. In the early days it took six
months to go from Missouri to the
Pacific Coast. An airplane has trav-
eled across the continent in less than
"a hours. We are stretching out our
arms through the air to Canada and to
our other friends and 'neighbors in the
South.
"All nations are looking forward to
the day of extensive, regular and rea-
sonably safe inte4continental and inter-
oceanic transportation by airplane and
.airship. What the future holds out
even the imagination may be inadequate
to grasp We may be sure, however,
that the projection and extension of
air transport throughout the world will
be of the utmost significance to civili-
zation. While the primary aim of this
industry is and will be commercial and
economic and the prosperity of the
world will be immeasurably advanced
by it. indirectly, but no less surely, will
the nations be drawn more closely to-
gether in bonds of amity and under
standing This conference, I know, will
have far-reaching results in the ad-
vancement of a science and industry
which appeals both tc the spirit and
the reason of man and which as the
years 60 by will cement more and more
firmly the bonds of international broth
erhood.''
Costing $3.oo0.ooo, new theater will