The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-06-20
FIRST MAIL REVOLUTION
 BIG CLIPPER
Plane Due in Juneau To- night with Airmail,
 Passengers

Winging it's way toward Juneau on the first scheduled States-to- Alaska airmail flight in history, the Alaska Clipper left Seattle at 10:l9 o'clock this morning.
 A later report said the Clipper was due in Ketchikan at and in Ju- neau between and o'clock, weather permitting.
 Aboard, besides bulging mail sacks of first flight covers sent by stamp collectors the world over, were 26 complimentary passengers, includin newspapermen, Civil Aeronautics Authority officials and outstanding businessmen of the Northwest.
 Reception Planned
 As on the occasion of it's recent shakedown flight, the Clipper will be greeted at the Aux Bay float by an official reception committee. headed by Gov Ernest Gruening. Later the passengers will be hon. ored by an informal reception at the Governors House and at o'clock by a dinner in the Gold Room of the Baranof Hotel, the latter spon- sored by the Juneau Chamber of Commerce
 Governor Gruening today received from Postmaster General James A. Farley the following message rela- tive to the first flight:
 Farley Message
 Tt is with pride and pleasure that join with you and the people of Alaska today in the inauguration of air mail service between Seattle and Juneau which marks the establish ment of a new link in the communi- cations and transportation systems between the United States and the Territory. The element of time is being sharply reduced with the open ing of this United States-Alaskan air mail route which will do much to further the bonds of trade and friendship between the peoples of continental United States and AL aSka."
 15.OOO Letters
 Mail stacked in the Juneau post office awaiting the first southbound flight of the Clipper tomorrow totals somewhere around 15.000 letters, &C., cording to Assistant Superintendent Arthur O. Willoughby of the Division of Air Mail Service of the U. s, Post Office Department.
 The first flight covers awaiting stamping with the special green cachet of the Post Office Depart ment came in faster than ever today. Willoughby said.
 Letters for cacheting will be &C., cepted at the Juneau post office up until II o'clock tonight.
 Send Yourself One
 Willoughby suggested that Juneau ties send themselves several letters. Here's how it's done: Address a letter to yourself, apply an airmail stamp and take it to the post office. It will be cacheted, carried to Seattle by Clipper and returned on the next Clipper, all for the one six-cent air. mail stamp.
 The cachet pictures the Clipper plane landing at Aux Bay. The let tering around it reads: "Seattle-Ju- neau U. s. Air Mail Route FAM 20 First Flight, Juneau, Alaska"
 Willoughby estimated there would be a few more than l5.0O0 first flight covers on the plane today for the northbound flight, due to the greater convenience in getting covers to Seattle. the larger at that end of the run and the fact that the northbound flight is really the first flight.
 Leave Room
 The Postoffice staff must have some room on the first flight cov- CTS to apply the cachet. Willoughby He urged that all en- velopes be addressed at the far right side to leave space for the cachet, which measures about inches by inches.
 Wiiloughby is returning on the Clipper tomorrow enroute to his San Francisco headquarters.
 To meet widespread late de- mand, The Empire has printed a quantity of first flight cover en- yelopes, which will be available at the office all evening.