Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22
BY CASTOR NERVAL.

YHEN Col. Charles A. Lind
a bergh lands the American
wv Clipper on Panama soil an
other chapter in the history
of interamerican aviation
will have been opened.
The foremost air pilot Of the United
States Is to fly the largest transport
plane ever built in this country from
Miami to Panama. Scheduled to take
place last Tuesday, the fight was post
poned to permit Col Lindbergh to re-
turn to New York and accept Secretary
Stimson's invitation TO fly the visiting
foreign minister Of Italy, Signor Dino
Grandi, TO the National Capital.
The route to be followed by the Amer
lean Clipper, recently christened amidst
protocolar ceremonies by Mrs. Hoover,
Is the regular transcaribbean route of
the Pan-American Anyways from North
to South America. It includes LOO
miles from Miami, Fla, with stops in
CienfuegoS (Cuba), Kingston (Jamaica)
and Barranquilla (Colombia), to the
Canal Zone, In Panama.
Shows Air Progress.
But the main significance of this
flight depends not on the personality of
its famous protagonist nor on the mate
rial capacity of the 50-paSSenger ma
chine to be employed. The real inpor-
lance of this maiden trip of the Ameri
can Clipper lies In that it will serve to
emphasize the progress In aerial COM
municatioh between North and South
America since February 8, 1929, when
the same illustrious pilot, Col. Lind
bergh, made his pioneering flight from
Miami to the Canal Zone.
Such progress, in the short period Of
less than three years, has been almost
magical.
Nearly three years ago President-elect
Herbert Hoover declared, during his
good will tour of the South American
republics, that aviation was to play q
paramount role in the relations Of the
peoples inhabiting the Western Henri
office he would devote his efforts in a
great measure toward the efficient de-
velopment of aerial communication
across the Equator. He forecast this
development and was the first one to
emphasize oficially the tremendous in
fluence that 1t would have in the full
flllment Of Pan-American ideals.
Presidents View Cited.
The President-elect's statements were
then considered an optimistic glance
into the future, premature prediction
with Jules Verne touch, which news
papers here and abroad commented
upon with high praise, but did not con-
slider in any way near to being work.
able possibility at the time.
In January, 1929, the Pan-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 flew the first load of mail to the
northern part of South America from
the Florida base. In August, 1929, the
Nyrba Line was carrying only pasSen-
gers on West Indian hop of 125 miles.
Less than three years have elapsed
since these pioneering attempts were
being carried out in an atmosphere of
doubt. and unbelief Today nearly 200
planes of all types cross the continent
from the northern Saxon shores to the
SouthernmoSt Latin capitals.
Mail Quickly Delivered.
Air mail can now be dropped into
any post box in this country for deliv-
cry in any Of the Latin American re-
publics. It reaches Buenos Aires, the
huge South American 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, Montevideo 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
VynI 0f hn
nomic centerS of the Western Henri
sphere
The greatest organization in the his
tory Of commercial aviation is now OPP
Grating in the New World The Pan
American Airways-With continuous,
unbroken network around the CONT
nent, including both coasts Of South
America and all the Central American
nations, Of over 10000 miles long, and
fiying schedules of more than 100, 900
miles weekly-operates the longest
aerial mileage in the world with its
fleet OF l02 aircraft of all types.
Complete Route.
Only g few days ago the goal toward
which the international air mail Serv-
ice had been striving was reached, when
the last gap in the circle of American
airlines around the vast South Ameri-
can Continent was closed. The Pan
American Anyways, Inc, announced the
inauguration Of passenger, mail and ex-
press service from Rio de Janeiro, Bra
iii, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This extension, completing the es-
Enlistment of an American airway
down the 7,500-nile trade route be-
tween the United States and the fertile
commercial areas of Brazil, Uruguay
and Argentina, gives the Pan-American
Anyways speed air service around the
entire South American Continent.
This new advance of American avia-
ton into the foreign field is Of particu-
lar interest and importance to the COM