Londov, June 10.
Strong points in favour of inter-Empire air communications were made by Sir Frederick Sykes, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, in a speech at a City banquet last night.
Sir Frederick said that the Government was trying to put aviation on a commercial footing because it would tremendously advance inter-communication, especial]; within the Empire. Supremacy in the air, he said, would not be obtained by building up unproductive military fleets, but by expanding trade and facilitating travel. He expressed the hope that commercial aviation would play as great a part in the country's pros-pent es the Mercantile Marine ad. They looked for assistance to the Dominions, who were untrammeled by the spirit of con-servetism which is apt to retard the progress of Great Britain.
The strength of the British Empire, the Controller-General proceeded, depends on good communications. Air transport, unhampered by foreign frontiers, would give the Empire essential means of direct. supple and speedy inter-communication which ship and rail have hitherto shown to he
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.