There is every possibility that Shanghai will be included in the empire airship scheme for establishing a commercial air service from England to Australia. This was the important statement made last evening by Sir Keith Smith, x..r., F.R.G.S., the well known Australian airman who has just reached Shanghai, in an interview with a representative of the '"'North-China Daily News."
With his brother, the late Sir Ross Smith, Sir Keith was in the famous flight to the Antipodes, and received a kmghthood for it. He is touring the Orient in connexion with the project put forward to the Government by Commander C. D. Burney, R.N., for the opening of an airship service for passengers, mails and goods, from Great Britain to India and Australia. Since the plan was first'mooted a branch line to Hongkong and thence to Peking or Tokio is now considered more than a future reality. Shanghar hag also been mentioned as a probable terminus in the Far East, but would in any case be taken in en route.
"Part of the share capital of the suggested company," said Sir Keith Ross, "Messrs: Vickers, Ld., and the Shell Group have undertaken definitely to subscribe. The British Government's obligation will be limited to a subsidy of £91,000. Those of the Indian and Australian Governments are to be £40,000 each, All these obligations will take the form of a guarantee to pay dividends and interest for a period of 10 years, but only so long as the company itself is not making sufficient profit. £4,000,000 capital will be required by the promoters.
"T consider it absolutely a certainty that within four or five years there would be no need to make any demand on the Government," de-"clared Sir Keith Smith.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.