COMMERCIAL AVIATION.
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Aircraft Exhibitions Abroad.
THE RECENT AIRCRAFT exhibitions in Paris and America have not done much to assist us in looking ahead into the commercial developments of aeronautics. French constructors, on the whole, do not appear to have made progress at all equivalent to that achieved in our country during the last two or three years. From our point of view, math of their design and choice of material is behind the times. The large machines that might he regarded as possible carriers of numerous passengers or fair quantities of goods do not create a very favourable impression. In faet, the British Handley Page was the popular success cif the Paris Show and, for the rest, the greatest interest focused on the other British exhibits, including the Airco, Vickers, Westland, Bristol, and BoWton and Paul.
As a whole, the British exhibitors showed a good range of machines for passenger carrying, varying from what might be called the air bus down to the aerial equivalent of the light car. In America, construetors appear to be mainly attracted by the prospects of this lighter class.
As regards business, it was generally considered that the Paris Show was premature. There were plenty of people, official and unofficial, there to look on, but very few to buy. More and more widespread demonstrations are needed. It may be unreasonable that any one country should be more influenced by big demonstrations or the establishment of practical aerial services within its own boundaries than by similar developments elsewhere, but the fact remains, and it is to be hoped that, before our own aircraft exhibition takes place next summer, we shall have excited world-wide interest up to the point of actual buying, instead of mere unremunerative curiosity.
Civil Aviation in France.
A recent official publication provides a very interesting resume' of the work that has been done to encourage civil aviation in foreign 'countries and, thus, helps us to judge how far we, ourselves, must be active if we are to keep in the forefront. In France, the system of subsidy often used to encourage new industries has been applied. About half the total allocation of 37 million francs, voted for civil aviation this year, goes to this purpose. The subsidies take the form of bonuses on mileage, grants ta pilots and crews for good work, premiums on tonnage carried, and special bonuses on the value of machines regarded as suitable also for military use. Contracts have been granted, enabling the institution of mail services between Paris and London, Paris and•Brussels, and elsewhere, and a considerable pro gramme of mail services is projected. French machines have also been conducting several mail services in the near East, serving Athens, Salonica, Constantinople, and Bukarest. The French are carrying on pioneer work in many countries ineluding Spain, Japan, and the Argentine, and inissiens to numerous other countries are in contemplation.
c36 Several aerial transport companies are in existence, some of them working in connection with similar. British concerns, working combines are under consideration, and preliminary steps are being taken to establish an airship service between Paris, Marseilles, and South Africa, possibly to be extended to South America. at a later date.
German Enterprise.
. Reference to equivalent activities in other Allied countries must, for the moment, be deferred in order to review what is being done by Germany, which, as the most active of recent enemy countries, may be compared with France ai the most active competitor among our allies. Large numbers of German ma-. chines have been sold cheaply to Norway, Sweden, Holland, Denmark, and Switzerland, and vquable goodwill has thus been secured. in Germany itself we find the policy of developing commercial aerial. services with due regard to their value as a reserve in the event of war. About a dozen aerial mail contracts have bean granted and the services started. All the post offices in Berlin accept letters for Munich, Vienna, Dresden, Hamburg, and other places, fees being at the rate of one mark for about three-quarters of an outice. Several fairly regular passenger services are working. One of those already in existence runs once in two days and charges about one-aid-three-quarter marks per mile for each passenger. Other airship lines shortly to be inaugurated will be from Berlin to Copenhagen and Christiania, and from Berlin to Stockholm. A.coasiderable number of important operating companies have been fornied 'and will run regular services over fairly long distances. A networkof aerial police patrols is being established. I• The general policy of Germany as regards civil aviation is to provide state aerodromes to form a ,Strong nucleus for a complete system of civil aviation under Government support and control. A combine is to be formed among contractors, each firm to standardize a type and all types to be approved by the Government. The military and the civil aerial organizations willeo-operate and the value of aerial strength will be the subject of propaganda in state schools. Finally, it is recognized that Government assistance to services in the shape of subsidy will be necessary during the early stages.
Removal of Prohibition in India.
In recent notes it was mentioned that the removal of prohibitions against civil flying in India had been officially recommended, in view of the desirability of organizing the Egypt-India Imperial Air Route. These prohibitions have now been removed, and are replaced by detailed rules and regulations. Thus, facilities now exist for the establishment in India, by private enterprise, of branch lines acting as feeders to the main air route services.
LEMBRIDGE.