Evening star., 1935-11-03
LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS
ADVANCE WITH AVIATION
200 Planes in Regular Contact With
U. S. Have High Efficiency Record.
Trade Gains Tremendous.

competition. The transportation OF
small packages containing samples
required the same length Of time as
that Of a 50-ton locomotive, the deliv-
cry of which in two days or in two
mouths was immaterial.
The quickest steamship service to
Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, for
instance, took from IL to II days,
and those to other important southern
commercial centers from 20 to Is days.
To this had to be added the time
employed in the identification of GUS
tom documents, port formalities and
the usual delays caused by unfavora-
BILE sailing weather conditions.
The suppression of all these bar
riers and the great saving of time
which it represents is not the only
accomplishment of inter American
aerial communication Even more
important, and certainly more far.
reaching than these immediate ma.
terial advantages, are the political
benefits which it will bring in the
way of closer personal contacts. Un-
derstanding among nations grows out
of the knowledge which they have
of one another. And among the most
appropriate ways of developing that
knowledge is the promotion of quicker
means Of communication. Mutual
knowledge between peoples of differ
ent origin and different points Of view
should increase in proportion to the
shortening Of the distances separating
them.
The growth of aviation in Latin
America has not been confined. how
ever. to the establishment of interna-
tional airways. The progress of do
mestic aviation in nearly every one
of the Latin American republics has
been equally impressive in the years
IN which the great Pan-American
air system was being built. In spite
of the severe economic depression
through which all Of them went. since
1929. the Latin American countries
have witnessed great strides in their
own commercial aeronautics.
Many Passengers Carried.
Brazilian airlines, which in 1929 car
ried approximately some 5000 pas.
sengers, last year carried over 10000.
In Chile the increase was from less
than 1000 to nearly 10000; in Peru
from 1000 to more than 10000: in
Bolivia from 5000 to more than 90.
600; in Mexico from 10000 to nearly
$4,000. But in no Latin American
country has the growth of domestic
aviation been so spectacular as in
Honduras, where there was not a
single commercial plane when the
plans for inter-American air COM
munication were being drafted few
years ago. Under the progressive and
air-minded Carias administration,
Honduras has built rs landing fields
which link the capital. Tegucigalpa.
with all important centers in the re-
public. and today boasts of one of the
most complete national air systems in
the continent. with AZ scheduled
flights per week. and total OF mora
than 10000 air miles flown per month.
carrying an average of 1900 passen-
gers and 100000 pounds of freight.
The result of this unprecedented air
development is that, having thus over
come the otherwise insurmountable
barriers of high mountain ranges and
vast areas of uncharted land. the
Latin Americans have at last begun
to break down their disintegrated
national economies, the greatest ham
dicap to their material progress in
the past. The fruits which they are
already reaping. both internally. in
their domestic prosperity. and ex.
ternally, in their contacts with those
of their neighbors who are also grow.
ing commercial wings. should be suffi.
cient demonstration that they havs
not taken to the air in vain.
(Copyright, 1880