Political and Economic Significance of New Pacific Aerial Services
pp. 5-6 · Read in the full issue
New Pacific Aerial Services
THERE is something of great signifi cance for all Pacific Territories in the month’s developments in aviation.
The first steps have been taken in the establishment of services which must profoundly affect life in the Pacific Is lands; and an understanding apparent y has been reached between Britain and the United States which yet may change the political face of the Pacific.
Great 4-engined Martin Clippers, oper ated by Pan-American Airways, now fly weekly across the North Pacific (’Frisco Honolulu Midway Wake Guam —Manila—Hong Kong). Under an agree ment, reached in Auckland on March 12, between the N.Z. Government and Pan- American Airways, another line of Clip pers will run south from Honolulu to Auckland, the route being Honolulu to Kingman Reef (1000 miles); Kingman to Pago Pago, American Samoa (1700 miles) ; Pago Pago to Auckland (2000 miles).
A P.A.A. Sikorsky flying-boat left ’Frisco on March 17 to survey the route to Auckland, and was expected in Auck
land within a week.
A regular service—fortnightly at first, but coming presently to weekly— may start within six months. Some reports say Boeing flying-boats will be used others say Martin aeroplanes. In any event, they are huge, 4-engined machines, carrying a crew of about seven, and from 40 to 48 passengers.
The Dutch air-lines are putting in a service which will run from Sourabaya (Java) to connect with the P.A.A. North Pacific service at Manila. The new Sydney—New Guinea service almost cer tainly will go one hop further, and con nect with the P.A.A. North Pacific ser vice at Guam.
These developments have occurred in the midst of warring polities, both eco nomic and international. But, whatever the circumstances of their appearance, the fact remains that within a very few years they will wholly change the tempo of life — commercial, industrial, social and political-—in the Pacific.
There was a long hold-up, while British influences stubbornly resisted the Amer
leans’ attempt to establish the Honolulu —N.Z. —Australian air-service. Imperial Airways (which in the ultimate analysis is an association of the British Govern ment with the British shipping combine) wanted the way left clear for an exten sion of their service from Australia ac ross the Pacific to Canada. H.M.S. Leith slipped quietly away from Suva, in Janu ary, and formally occupied Christmas Is , which the Americans apparently needed.
Then, quite suddenly, the British resis tance disappeared, and the agreement was announced with the proviso that the P.A.A. service should terminate in Auckland, and not come to Australia.
What happened, no one knows; but it is possible to make a shrewd guess.
P.A.A., barred from New Zealand, was getting ready to run to Australia via the non-British islands of Pago Pago and New Caledonia. That brought both the British and N.Z. Governments sharply to attention, and they in turn forced Im perial Airways to accept a compromise— P.A.A. to have the Pacific to themselves, for the present, but to keep away from Australia. A bleating protest from the Commonwealth Government, that the Auckland agreement was made without its knowledge, bears out our theory. The Commonwealth Government is powerfully
influenced by the British Shipping Com bine; but the latter is anathema to the N.Z. Labour Government.
It nnll he found, however, that the Americans made a concession. The British air-lines may use Honolulu as a port, when they are ready to enter the Pacific trade.
All this may have a bearing upon the Pacific shipping position. The three Governments concerned (Britain, Austra lia, N.Z.) still are merely toying with the idea of subsidising the Union Line against the American ships. The long delay almost certainly is due to the N.Z.
Government’s hatred of the British Ship ping Combine.
Are we now to see a new development —namely, British interests, influenced by New Zealand, abandoning the Pacific transport industry to American interests, on the understanding that it is now pos
"Guinea Airways Upset Australia's Aviation Calm."—See article on page 74.
sible to get an Anglo-American agree ment to maintain the status quo in the Pacific against the ever-growing power of Japan? Internationally considered, the'thing has logic in it; Australia and New Zealand could not pay too high a price for American friendship and Ameri can co-operation with Britain in the Pacific. But, from the political-Socialists’ viewpoint, the thing is absurd. Why sacrifice the British shipping combine, which at least is subject to some control by democratic institutions and by human itarians, to the Americans, when Ameri can combines notoriously are the last word in ruthlessness and inhumanity?
However, amid all the complications caused by these international considera tions, commercial rivalries and contests between politico-social systems, the fact remains that the Pacific territories are to get aerial transport systems much more quickly than ever was anticipated; and they should prepare accordingly.
Incidentally, Fiji should get busy. It would be a calamitous thing if the P.A.A.
Clippers, flying direct from Pago Pago to Auckland, merely buzzed along Fiji’s eastern horizon. If P.A.A. are to be left alone in the Pacific, they should give some consideration to the British coun tries there, and Fiji is big enough to expect some sort of attention from the Central Pacific air-mail service.
Mr. D. Stewart, sales manager for Messrs. Holbrooks (A/asia) Ltd., will make a business visit to Papua and New Guinea in May and June. He will make the round trip by the Montoro, leaving on May 15.
Mr. C. J. Black, of Pacific Cable Board
staff, accompanied by Mrs. Black, left
Sydney in March for Honolulu, en route for the cable-station at Fanning Island.
They will be two years on Fanning Island,