Evening star., 1940-07-17
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
star Aviation Editor.

VIC s@lIt " y oCf scS.
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Star Aviation Editor.
SANTIAGO, Chile (By AirmaiD {.
For 1,7O0 miles down the. rugged
South American coast, between the
blue Pacific and the mighty western
Cordillera of the Andes, we have
been staging an informal race with
a German tri-motored Junkers air
liner reported to be carrying $1,000,-
600 worth Of cocaine destined for
Nazi Germany. It is a competition
symbohcal of the economic warfare
which observers believe is going to
be waged by the United States and
Its sister American republics and
the Germans for economic control
of this great continent.
The Junkers, according to infor-
nation In the hands of airport OFF,
cials along the Peruvian and
Chilean coast, had two purposes.
The first was to expedite delivery
to Germany of the great cocaine
shipment, which had been tied up
for some time by the Bolivian gov
ernment, and, more important, to
survey the route between Africa and
Santiago, Chile, in an effort to es-
tablish competitive Nazi service
over this important route.
Making the flight in a big. fast
Douglas DC-3 of the Panagra di-
vision of Pan-American Airways, we
first encountered the German at
the beautiful airport at Arequipa,
Peru, one of the most dramatically
beautiful spots served by any air.
line.
Junkefs Comes In.
We had just. landed at Arequipa.
1850 miles and 80 flying hours from
home, in the late afternoon OF q
beautifully clear day, with the tow
ering snow-covered peak Of Cha
chani, 81 ,220 feet high, dominating
the skyline to the east and reflect
ing the first red-gold of the late
sun. Arequipa is one Of the highest
airports in regular use in the West
ern Hemisphere-8,100 feet above
sea level and at the very foot OF the
1s,6O0-foot peak Of Pichu-Pichu.
We had made fast landing, just
on the shoulder of the mountain,
and were enjoying 4-foot geraniums
and q view Of one Of the most pic
turesque cities between Quito and
Santiago when there was a roar
and in came the Junkers, en- route
from La PaZ, Bolivia, to Santiago
and Buenos Aires. It was one of
the later models of the famous Ger
man Junkers line-a 52-powered
with B. NJ. w. engines, which are the
German copies Of the American
Pratt & Whitney Wasps. The engine
nacelles and corrugated metal nose
of the Junkers fuselage were paint
ed black, giving it the rather leering
appearance of goggle-eyed mon
ster as it rolled up to refuel.
We learned later that the German
plane was carrying a cocaine cargo
originally purchased by Nazi agents
In Peru. Attempting to fly 1t to
Buenos Aires by the short diagonal"
route through La Paz to Cordoba,
Argentina, the German crew was
stopped by Bolivian customs agents
and cargo and plane conf1scated.
During the negotiations which final
" resulted in clearing of cargo and
plane, the Germans completed ar
rangements for survey of the Arica-
Santiago route. German air routes
already are In operation between
Buenos Aires and Santiago and be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific at
Lima, Peru, with an extension down
the coast to africa. The new sec
ton is sought by them to complete
a circuit of some of the richest
country in South America.
The big Nazi plane completed its
Yefueling quickly and was of. We,
with no idea of race and, at the
time. no more than q passing in
terest in the black-nosed Nazi, fin
ished our inspection Of the airport
and distant town.
German Is Overhauled.
We got of long after the German
had disappeared and headed of over
the dry httoral sloping from the
Andes down to the sea toward our
overnight stop at africa, just across
the Peruvian border in Chile. We
finally spotted the German, high up
to the west of the course, over
hauled him and forgot the matter
as we landed at africa In the last
rays Of Q dusk which comes here,
the year around, at 6 pm, as SUM-
light always comes at 6 am.
We left africa, alone in It's sur
rounding waste of absolute desert,
at 8 am. the next day. The Ger
man plane already was long gone
on the way south. The sky was
overcast and we pulled up through
a layer Of clouds into brilliant sun
shine and q deep blue sky, with the
Andes looming over the cloud sea
to the east.
Down the nitrate coast we let the
miles slip easily by, marveling at
the scattered, lonely nitrate work.
ings with their characteristic dump
piles In the shape of a giant figure
eight, at the great areas Of absolute
" barren sand and at earthquake
fault lines, visible for miles across
the bare ground. This desert was
to be with us for 500 miles and
we were by now more than little
interested when we overlook the
German plane on the airport at
Antofagasta-an airport which
might just as well be the worlds
largest since the sand stretches per-
fectly fat for miles In all directions
except to the sea, where 1t falls of
In sharp, water-carved bluff Of
intricate fantasy.
Took on With Flourish.
Just after we landed, the Junkers
took of with a flourish which would
have resulted in the immediate
grounding of its pilot by any Amer
icAn aviation inSnector Altholrl1