Evening star., 1939-09-07
15,00O-ki|e Sea Hop
Is Made by Clipper
In 101 Hours
Crowd of $4,000
Welcomed Passengers
In New Zealand

By CAPT. WILLIAM A. CLUTHE.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7 CNA.-
NA).-We flew the Is 10000 miles to
New Zealand and back in 101 hours
80 minutes-which is almost exactly
the flying time we have counted on
as being average for the flight.
Of course, we spread this flying
over space of two weeks, going and
returning, but that was to permit
plenty of time on the ground for
inspection of base facilities. The
regular schedules which we expect to
be flying later call for a four-day
trip from San Francisco to Auck-
land, New Zealand, via Los Angeles,
Honolulu, Canton Island and Nou-
mea, in New Caledonia.
Never was Clipper more warmly
welcomed in distant port than was
the California at Auckland A crowd
of $4,000 persons occupied every pos
sible vantage point around the har-
Dor.
AS soon as we had docked and
medical inspection had been made
Harold Gatty, Pan-American Air
ways representative, came aboard
with the American Consul, j. G.
Groeniger, and escorted us ashore
to meet an official party headed by
Mayor Sir Ernest Davis. We were
of the Imperial Airways' flying boat
Aotearo, which had arrived two days
before from Sydney, Australia, on
survey flight over a proposed British
route from Sydney to Auckland.
Desire for Service.
New Zealand eagerly awaits estab-
lishment of regular service from the
United States, and the reason for
this enthusiasm seemed to be two
fold. For one thing, the distance
of the British colony from both Eu-
rope and the United States-it is
halfway around the world from
either one-gives the New Zealand
ers a feeling of isolation which they
believe air service from the United
States will do much to dispel Sec
ond, there is most sincere feeling
of friendship for the United States,
which makes the projected air serv-
ice doubly welcome
I might add that there is an abid-
Ing loyalty to the British Empire.
AS we left New Zealand, war clouds
were gathering over Europe, and
New Zealanders were busy drafting
statements formally declaring this
loyalty and planning support which
they would give to the mother coun-
try.
AS to the route of this new service
to the down under" area-it is in
some ways the most interesting
undertaken by Pan American Air
ways.
1t is the first air route to cross
both the equator and the interna-
tional date line. 1t probably has
more variety of climate than any
other, for it starts cat this time of
year, from a temperate summer in
California, passes through the trop-
les, and winds up in temperate win
ter below. At the same time, there
are no extremes of temperature. The
intermediate islands on the route,
true enough, are tropical, but the
charms of the tropics outweigh the
disadvantages.
Interesting Spot.
In fact, Canton Island, where Pan
American Anyways started with a
barren coral atoll and established
q marine air base which now is very
much going concern" bids fair
to become one of the most interest
ing and attractive of isolated ocean
bases.
Having had the experience of
establishing similar bases on Mid
way and Wake Islands on the China
run to guide them, Pan Americans
engineers and construction crews
have done an outstanding job on
Canton Island. Quarters for perma-
nent ground crews and for flight
crews coming in and out were COM
pleted long ago and luxurious "a
room hotel for passengers soon will
be constructed. These buildings
are so constructed that, on warm
afternoon, it is always 10 or Is de-
grees cooler inside.
Fishing at Canton Island is such
as to delight any disciple OF IZaak
Walton. AS the channel connecting
Cantons lagoon with the ocean is
broad and permits strong tidal ac-
tion, big fish, like the wahoo, may
be hooked from the shore of the
island
Returning from New Zealand, we
few to Honolulu, with Capt. J. H.
Tilton In command He left us
there for a trip to Hong Kong on
the next westbound clipper, and we
picked up revenue passengers and
express for the overnight flight to
San Francisco. which is exactly like
the similar flight on the older trans
Pacific route.
More than 35. 900 persons will live