Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-06
AIR SERVICE GIVES
j. S. TRADE EDGE
Plane Use for Mail and Goods
Aids Commerce With
LatinS.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

gpecial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 6.-Commercial
aviation is giving the business man of
the United States time advantage in
the highly competitive South American
markets formerly enjoyed by France
and Great Britain a survey COM
rleted by the Merchants Association OF
New York indicates. AS in war, the
force arriving on the scene flrst gains
an advantage in business. and airmal
and passenger transport service is held
responsible by some firms for their abll-
ity to hold Latin American trade in ter
ritory which otherwise would be con-
trolled by foreign houses.
In the old steamer DAYS" the Mer-
chants Association reports, 1t took ~
DAYS to reach Buenos Aires from New
York as against Is days from London
and IS from Paris. Today it takes eight
days for transmission of mails between
New York and BuenOS Aires, and
passenger may reach the South Ameri-
can city from New York in nine days.
Europeon Time Longer.
THE Merchants Association is in
formed that the best time for paSsen-
ger service from London to BuenoS
Aires is IA days, and that the airmail
time is nine DAYS. In the northern
points on the west coast, New York has
an even greater advantage"
OF 200 concerns questioned by the
Merchants Association, nearly all re-
piled that they made use of airmail at
times, and almost half of them use it
regularly. Ten firms send agents by air
regularly and 80 others Use the airplane
when conditions warrant. Some of the
exporters said that except for the time
luo Of nv
large share Of their business would go
to European competitors F1fty-eight
concerns expressed the opinion that
more frequent service would be ad-
visable.
Relations Closer.
The replies indicate that the bust
ness firms and banking houses trading
in South America benefit By their
ability to maintain closer relations
with agents, branches, distributors and
other representatives. so as to offer
better and quicker service to customers.
The airmail is used, in addition to
the transmission of routine mail, for
sending shipping documents, price quo
tations, samples of merchandise. letters
of credit, catalogues and advertising
material, power of attorney and bonds
and drafts.
In the case Of financial documents 1t
Is said that the time-saving effects
tangible economy in interest charges.
The forwarding of shipping documents
BY airmail allows the consignee to
make arrangements for the receipt of
goods before they arrive, thus avoid
ing unnecessary customs charges and
penalties and storage costs Many
Arms find also that the speed of air
mail allows them to reduce cable mes
cages thus saving wire tolls
Airline Use Increases.
Evidence Of the increasing Latin
American airline business is contained
IN the quarterly traffic report Of Pan
American Always System. During the
three months ending March the COM
pany carried 1890 passengers, an in
crease of $3.50 over the same period
in 1880, on its system Of airways to
the West Indies, Central and South
America This is believed to be
world record for international aerial
travel More than AZ tons of mail was
carried during the first quarter OF the
wear, as we'll as 81 tons of express
and baggage. The line established
record of 100 per cent regularity for
the three months, every fight having
been completed on or ahead OF schedule.
Pan American Always now is the
largest air transport unit IN the world,
Its lines having spread OUT IdIlHeI IIldI
Imperial Always of Great Britain.
Aeropostale of France. or the Deutsche
Luft Hansa of Germany, all three OF
which were active in the foreign field
for some time before the United States
entered il.
s,3s4,72s Miles Flown.
During the months of January, Feb
ruary and March a total of S.3847 29
passenger miles. as compared with
2,654,814 in the same period of 1880,
were flown over the American sys-
tenn Since it began operation in Oc-
tober, 1927, the route mileage has been
increased from 90 to 1880 miles of
contract mail and passenger routes in
scheduled operations. This extends to
80 countries and colonies-all but two
countries-in the Western Hemisphere
More than 1000 persons are en-
ployed in the system, which operates
101 air liners. most of them multi
motored transport ships. Since the
line was established the company's
planes have flown 100000 passenger
miles over the Caribbean, the jungles
of Central America and the Andes
Mountains of South America and the
record of complying with schedule Is
80 per cent.