An Aeroplane Trip Round the World in Two. Years for a Wager of Frs. 500,000
M. Josef Lefert, a 22-year-old Belgian aviator who is flying round the world for a wager, has arrived in Shanghai, plancless. He left Brussels on October 19, 1922, after he had concluded the terms of a Frs. 500,000 (Belgian) wager with the Sporting Club of that city, by which he agreed to fly completely round the globe within two years' time. His first machine, a Barquet biplane, of 300 p.h, and 12.cylinders, carried him_within seven months as far as Rangoon. where a forced landing. in which he barely escaped" serious injuries, damaged the machine and motor beyond repair. Here he procured a Handley-Page of a smaller type and continued his way to Manila, at which city he has been trying to get a machine powerful enough
lap.
allow him to make the next.
Successful in his search, the 400 h.p. 12 cylinder Liberty motor is now there waiting his return. His trouble in the Oriental countries has been mainly in procure ing permission te land and cross tie territory of Asiatic Powers, and he stated yesterday that the had. been refused a landing in Formosa, while he is now. in Shanghai to get the necessary papers crediting him while in China. He proposes to fly direct from Manila to Shanghai, for the air conditions in Hongkong and the typhoon season there are hazardous to air transit. It is M, Lefert's intention to fly over Shanghai and carry passengers over the Settlement if he can receive the sanction of the authorities, while when he continues to the north, he expects to have a supply of letters for America, which he will carry round the Behring Sea and down the Pacific Coast to points in the United States. His charge for this novel service will be $1 per container.
Since beginning his flight, the young aviator has landed in Holland, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Timbuctoo, the countries of northern Africa, the Latin states of southern Europe, Cal-cutty, Bombay, Madras, Batavia, Singapore and Manila.
From here he expects to visit Peking, Tientsin, Vladivostok, Nikolaievsk, Naiakhansk, Anadir, then over the Behring Straits, to Nome, Dawson, Sitka and Van couver and the cities of U. 8. A-After a tour in that country he is to leave for Mexico. Guatemala, Brazil, Bogota, Chili, Valparaiso, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and from there to Belgian Congo, a stretch of 2,000 miles non-stop, and then back to his starting; point. 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.