Evening star., 1932-10-24
GERMANS TO'0PEN I
OCEAN AIR LINE
Planes to South America Will
RefueI at Ships in Mid.
Atlantic.

when Germany will undertake the first
airplane service, connect
ing the European lines of the great
Lufthansa system with the South
American lines of the German Condor
Syndicate.
According to unofficial advices re-
ceived in Washington, the service Will
be started November Is and will be
operated on regular schedule of two
round trips month. The long ocean
hop from the Canary Islands to Fer
nando do Noronha. off the coast Of
Brazil, both of which will be fueling
stations, will be broken by midocean
refueling by steamer. the S. S. West
fallen already having been started to
the rendezvous point in the South
Atlantic.
Seeks to Overcome Pact.
Inauguration by Germany of the
first ocean airplane service is part
of a campaign by that country to
overcome aeronautical handicapS i'm
posed upon her by the terms of the
Versailles treaty. In the face OF treaty
Germany, after long prepa-
ration, is ready to open the first ocean
airplane service and already has plo-
neered North Atlantic crossing and
partially completed pioneering OF q
route around the world
Plans for the South Atlantic air.
line have been in progress for many
months, according to advices received
here by the Aeronautical Trade Divi-
sion of the Bureau of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce. AS early as last
July American consular representatives
were aware of the plans.
Early in the Summer Lufthansa ex-
tended its European airline system to
the Canary Islands. At about the same
time the German Condor Syndicate in
South America extended line to the
tiny island Fernando do Noronha, l25
miles off Cap San Rogue, Brazil.
The Germans established, as a train
ing service for their transatlantic pilots,
the "ship-to-shore" airplane service
which has for many months been
feature Of the fast service Of the SIS.
Bremen and Europa. Heinz Blanken-
burg, one of the most noted Of the
Bremen "catapult pilots IS expected
to fly the first plane on the South At
lantic service.
Cuts Two Days From Time.
In the catapult service applied to
the Bremen and Europa, plane is
dispatched after the ship is several
miles at sea, overtaKing it
day out of port, with late mail, express.
and even passengers. Six hundred
miles from port. full day out, the
plane is catapulted from the steamer
with important mail and other appro-
pirate cargo. The result is the cutting
of nearly two full days from the al
ready fast steamship schedule.
The Westfalen, it is understood. IS
equipped with radio "homing" appara-
tus to guide the planes to it in any
weather. The planes are expected to
land alongside and be picked up by
crane. as is done in the Bremen and
Europa service. Refueled, inspected and,
if necessary. overhauled. the plane then
will be catapulted away again.
1t is understood here that the West
fallen will serve as relay point, planes
from the Canaries and Fernando do
Noronh ameeting in midocean and each
returning to its own port.
Narrowest Water Jump.
In choosing the South Atlantic for
of their service. the Ger
mans are capitalizing the fact that this
IS the narroweSt stretch of the ocean
between continents The Atlantic from
Cap San Rogue to Cap Palmas. Africa,
is but 1920 miles wide, as compared
with 2,1G0 miles between Newfoundland
and Ireland shortest direct line across
the north Atlantic.
Lufthansa, however. is not confining
its activities to the South Atlantic The
German system already has pioneered
the North Atlantic, crossing BY way
Of Iceland and Greenland most thor
oughly. and has sponsored three flights
over this route by Capt. Wolfgang Won
Gronau, who now has had more actual
experience in ocean crossing by air
than any man except DR.. Hugo Eckner.
Germany also has turned its eyes
toward the Orient and the Pacific and
it is believed here that the leiSurely
world fight of Won Gronau
which began during the past Summer is
2 part of the program looking toward
extension of the German airline system
TO Japan and eventually to Alaska,
Canada and the United States.
Graf Zeppelin Studies Way.
The South American cruises of the
Graf Zeppelin during the past five
months have given German aerOnauti-
cal authorities the most thorough prac-
tical insight into the conditions they
must meet in carrying on their proposed
seaplane service. For five months the
Graf has followed the schedule which
is to be continued after the middle Of
next month by the seaplanes. Twice a
month the huge airship has completed
a round trip between Friedrichshafen
and Pernambuco without a hitch or
delay. Her five months of service now
are completed and the seaplanes are to
take up the burden. continuing the
service during the coming months of
the South Atlantic Spring and Summer.
In South America the Germans are
operating in direct competition with
American enterprise. For $500 miles,
from Natal. Brazil, to Rio Grande,
the Condor lines parallel
those of Pan-American Airways. Ger
many Is counting on her South Atlantic
service to increase her prestige in South
America and on the speedy communi-
cations contemplated between the
and the New World to aid
her in building up great Latin Ameri-
can market for the expansion of her
home industries.
France also is keenly alert and is
the growing German develop
ments with anxiety. The French COM
pany, Aeropostale, French equivalent Of
Lufthansa, is operating fast steamers
from France to South America to tie
up the French European airline system
with French airlines in South America.
Building Big Planes.
Aeropostale, according to advices re-
ceived during the past week by the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce from the United States trade
at Paris, now Is hard at
work on the development of large sea-
planes for the South Atlantic service.
It is understood in Washington that
of the European powers
are watching with some anxiety the
German aerial development. Though
Germany is prohibited by treaty from
military aviation development, It Is
contended by agents of some of the for
eign powers that Germany is using its
commercial air lines as a training
ground for military flying for both land
and naval service.
nF HAorFI ANT nlInIrn