Kabul, Sept. 28.
After having disappeared four weeks ago while on a flight fror China to Afghanistan the German Lufthansa aeroplane Rudolf von Thuene in charge of Air Captain Untucht and carrying the Lufthansa Director. Baron von Gablenz, and the wireless mechanic, Herr Kirchhoff, arrived here yesterday afternoon, all on board being safe and well.
The explanation of the mystifying disappearance is, that on August 30 on the way to Kabul, just as the plane was approaching the caravan town of Chotan in the southern part of the province of Sinkiang an emergency landing became necessary owing to a defect in the gearing. The inmates of. the plane were instantly arrested by the Turkestan authorities and kept in' ĉustody for four whole weeks, the aeroplane itself being declared confiscated.
Ultimately the airmen succeeded in recovering their freedom and permission to continue the flight, the object of which was to make observations for the organization of a regular German passenger air service between Germany and the Far East via Turkey and Afghanistan.
While in captivity, the pioneers were not even allowed to send a wireless message to Kabul to ex-plan what had happened.
Chotan is well-known as the place where the' German explorer and National Prize winner, Dr. Wilhelm Filchner, was also recently held in custody itor a time by the authorities there—Trans-Ocean.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.