Evening star., 1935-06-20
OVERSEE A|RMA|[
TOBE EXTENDED
Branch, Back From Hawaii,
Looks to Australia and
New Zealand.

With tranS-PaciIic air transport
service "as good as signed, sealed and
delivered" the Post Office Department
Is turning its attention to airmail
service from the United States to
Australia and New Zealand, and hopes
for around-the-world airmail within a
year or two, Second Assistant POST
master General Harllee Branch, in
charge of airmail, said yesterday on
his return from Hawaii
There is no doubt in my mind that
trahS- Pacific service is at hand and
think it will be only a short time be-
fore airlines will circle the world"
Branch said. ct think by next year
we may have air service across the
Atlantic"
In press conference yesterday aft
ernoon. following his return from an
inspection trip to Honolulu, Branch
expressed himself as greatly impressed
by the arrangements made by Pan
American Airways for the trans-Pa-
ciflc service which it now is pioneer
ing. He said the Post Office Depart
ment and the Bureau of Air Com
merce already have collaborated in
the drawing of an advertisement for
bids for trans-Pacific service and will
be ready to issue the advertisement as
soon as funds are provided by Con-
greSS.
S1,S5O,O00 Assured.
The department has requested an
appropriation of $780, 900 with which
to finance this service on a basis of
the item has been approved by the
President and the Budget Bureau.
Looking forward to the day when
there will be keen air transport COM
petition across the Pacific, Branch
said the Post Office Department is
concerned with the problem whether
terminal facilities at Honolulu should
be allowed to get into the hands of a
commercial company.
Personally" ne said, II think the
Government should construct, main
tain and operate that base and that
we should hold it open for the COM
petitive air transport development
feel certain will come"
In its advertisement for bids for the
Pacific service, Branch said, the Post
Office Department will insist that pro-
visions be made for the carrying of
passengers as well as mail and express.
He said that in his opinion the giant
-engined clipper plane now being
used by Pan-American Anyways is only
a step toward the Pacific transport
plane of the next few months. The
present plane, he feels, is not suitable
for passenger service, but the much
larger Martin plane now under test
at Baltimore will be suitable for pas
senger business, and stil larger
Sikorsky plane now is being designed
for n-American Airways.
Largest Nonstop Route.
Bridging the gap between California
and Hawaii, Branch pointed out,
covers the largest nonstop route
which must be flown on the entire
round -the-world route or on the line
from the United States to Australia.
With the California Hawaii section in
operation. Branch said, the service to
Australia should follow quickly, as
well as the service to the Orient.
In order to keep the trans-PacIfic
route open to competition, Branch
said the advertisement is being care
fully framed to admit all comers. 1t
probably will not be required that the
successful company be in a position
to inaugurate service within less than
q year after receiving the contract,
though it could do so at any time
within that period.
Branch said in his opinion the in1-
dial airmail rate across the Pacific
should be about 81 per letter. He
pointed out the rate to remote points
in South America is about go cents
per letter. Location of terminal points
for the line has not been settled be-
cause of political, diplomatic and mill
tary reasons, he pointed out, but
added that the sites under considera-
ton in this country are San Francisco,
Los Angeles and San Diego, and in
China are Canton, Hongkong and
Macao Island, just off the coast near
Hongkong.