Since the transport of mail to the United Kingdom over the trans-Siberian route has now become. impracticable it may cone as news to many that it is still possible to reach England by mail by an even quicker route, which takes only 18) days, by means of the Netherlands Air Line operating between Batavia and Amterdam.
Mails for this route should be des-hed on a steamer of the Java:
ina-Japan line to Java, or by any.
the line that puts in at' Singapore. At Batavia or Alorstar connection made with) Netherlands Air Mail.
Little has been beant here of this air-line, which is one of the lai in the world, and. a history of progress since its inception in 19 of great interest. In that year a trial flight was carried out from Amsterdam to Batavia in a single-motor machine, Certain' delays were experienced, however, but the flight was completed in twenty-four days. Three years later Koppen, the well-known Netherlands aviator, made another test flight, using on this occasion, a tri-motored aircraft. This attempt was eminently succossful, the outward course being covered''in twelve days, while the return trip was accomplished in the record time of nine days: a record incidentally that remained unbroken This led to the establishment in
company known as. the Netherlands the Aste of Java of an auxiliary East Indies Airlines consisting of four machines. Further trial fights. were carried out and on November, 1, 1929, a regular fortnightly mail' terview was instituted.
As an inducement to the publ toutilise this means of sending their mail. the postal authorities. provided. specially light paper and yelopes and. imposed a very modexate surtax on air-mail letters, Now. this means is used almost exclusive: ly for light matter only, parcels snd. heavy mail letters being sent ly. sea, 'So successful was the enterprise that on. October 1, 1080, the com pany inaugurated 'a weekly. service Trorder to cope with the' postage and this had the effect of increasing the quantity of mail te almost double, the amount. By now, the tine taken te-cover the distance front Batavia to Amsterdam bed een wedsced 0 nine "days and. during the whole oticd. that" passengers and mail Rave bern. tramporied. over this cate only one serious accident has ceased, bye the mail was salvaged and reached its destfnution five days Mchines leave Amsterdam ularly every Thursday and in Batavia on Friday the. followin week, On the return route the machines leave every Friday. and Teach, Ansterdam on Salurdey, nine days Tater, Even this service.ig under, consi dgratien far improvement by ttodnetion of a, type of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.