Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
Pan-American Wings.

TIME greatest organization in the
history of commercial aviation
has just been establish ed in the
i Western Hemisphere, with the
purchase by the Pan-American
Grace Always Co. of the Nyrba
New York-Rio- Buenos Aires) Line, an
nounced last week in New York. These
organized, the monopoly of aerial
communications among the three Amer
icas and now, merged, they are
to operate the longest aerial mileage
in the world. The merger gives the new
concern a continuous, unbroken net
work around the continent, including
both coasts of South America and all
the Central American nations.
The Pan-American mad control of
1927 miles of mail and passenger
routes along the Pacific Coast of the
Southern Hemisphere. The Nyrba Line
was operating over $500 miles of routes
on the Atlantic Coast. The consolida-
ton of these systems will mean, when 1t
takes effect next month the operation
of a network of airWayS over 10000
miles long, with flying schedules of more
than 100000 miles weekly. AS a New
York paper points out, its fleet of 1873
aircraft of all types will include "a
multi-motored planes-more than are
owned by any government.
The progress of interamerican avia-
ton has been almost magical in these
last two years. During his South Ameri-
Fan goodwill tour President Hoover, two
years ago, was the first to forecast the
development of aerial transportation
on the continent, as well as the ire
mendous influence that such develop
ment would have for the greater sue
cess of pam American ideals. But his
words we're then considered an opti-
miStic glance into the future, a pre-
mature prediction with a Jules Verne
touch, which newspapers here and
abroad commented upon with high
praise, but did not consider in any
way near to being workable possibility
at the time.
In January, 1929, the American
Anyways Co., operating an air line to
Cuba, was just beginning to extend its
services from Miami to the West Indies
In February of that year. Col Lind
bergh few the first load of mail to the
northern part of South America from
the Florida base. In August, year
ago, the Nyrba was only carrying pas
sengers on West Indian hop of l25
miles.
Less than two years have elapsed
since these pioneering attempts were
being carried out in an atmosphere
200 planes Of all types cross the con-
tinent from one extreme to the oJher,
and all the Latin American capitals,
without exception, are connected by
air links with the United States. Air
mail can now be dropped into any
post box in this country for delivery
in any of the Latin American republics.
1t reaches BuenoS Aires, the huge south
ern metropolis, in seven days. 1t reaches
the Amazon Valley, where incalculable
treasures have been hidden by Nature,
in five days. This valley is 80 days
from New York by steamer.
Until aviation came along, Buenos
Aires, Rio de Janeiro. Santiago, Lima,
Bogota, La Paz and all the principal
cities in South America were between
two and three weeks from New
York by boat They are now only a
few days by air. Buenos Aires is within
three days by air Of every capital in
the Southern Continent, and so is Rio,
the Brazilian metropolis which here
tofore had been separated by weeks of
travel from many of the other economic
centers of the Western Hemisphere.
Not only the mail but also the pas
senger service Is developing consider
ably. A record for long-distance aerial
transportation was recently claimed by
the Nyrba Line, which had transported
IN the first six months Of 1880 55l pas
sengers In its 80 planes The same
company is finding even its 24-pas-
senger flying boats too few for the
demand, and plans are now under way
FOR the construction of giant craft with
"a capacity for 100 passengers a range
OF 900 miles without refueling, and
cruising speeds OF 140 miles per hour
or better
Aerial transportation is a complete
success in Latin America. Skeptics and
pesSlmists must now admit that the
prophecy of President Hoover was
nearer TO reality than they thought.
TWENTIETH CENTURY DIPLOMACY
Aviation is doing in months what
years and decades of political and diplo-
matte effort could not accomplish. To-
gether with radio, 1t is bringing closer
the peoples of Saxon and of Latin origin
in the Western world,
Good understanding among nations
grows out of the knowledge which they
the most efficient means to spread mu-
tual knowledge, for 1t shortens dis
tances and facilitates personal contacts
among individuals of distant countries
In the CASE of Pan-American rela-
tions the influence of aerial routes Is
particularly significant, for the lack of
proper and rapid means of communica-
ton has until recently been the most
serious obstacle to better acquaintance
and greater comprehension between the
peoples inhabiting both sides of the Rio
Grande. Both land and maritime COM