South American News :

July 1st 1932

ARGENTINE postal authorities have received advice from Berne that an Air
Mail service between Great Britain and the Cape was opened on January 20 last.
The duration of the journey is fixed at eight days, which, added to the time employed
from Buenos Aires to Paris, represents a period of 18 to 20 days for the regular transport
of mails between Buenos Aires and the South African Union.
The opening of this new service will prove of great benefit to people in the Argentine as
maritime communications to and from South Africa are few and far between.

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The Aeropostal plane which left Buenos Aires on February 26, about 1 am., should have
reached Rio de Janeiro at 5 p.m., but failed to arrive. In addition to a crew of three, there
were 80 sacks of mail on board from Chile and Argentina and one passenger. The plane
was last noticed in a cyclone off southern Brazil, and subsequently the bodies of the
occupants and all the mail was washed ashore, together with a considerable amount of
wreckage. The mails were forwarded with but three days' delay.
~~~~

The Graf Zeppelin made three experimental flights to Brazil last year, and on March 21
she will inaugurate a fortnightly service from Germany to Brazil. Hydroplanes belonging
to the Condor Syndikat will transport passengers and mails from Buenos Aires to the
airship at Per-nambuco. The journey to or from Europe will occupy two days.
The airway between Paraguay and Argentina is still closed down, and the contract for the
' service from Bahia Blanca to Rio Gallegos ends this month (March) and owing to lack
of funds it is doubtful whether it will be renewed.

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The Brazilian Ministry of Communications has fixed a period of two years for the mail
planes to be manned by Brazilian pilots, and has charged the aeronautical department to
draw up the conditions whereby the foreign pilots will gradually be substituted within the
above period. This obligation is extended to the Condor Syndikat, Panair (P.A.A.), and all
other companies registered in Brazil.
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From February 1, the Uruguayan Postal Department augmented the tariffs on account of
the depreciation of the peso. Local letters now cost 3c. instead of 2c. Those for the
interior of the Republic and all American countries cost 7c. instead of 5c. for each 20grs.
The rate of 12c. for all countries outside the American continent
remains unaltered.

~~~~

To encourage the despatch of postcards, via aereo, during the Christmas season, the
Argentine authorities reduced the tariff, with the consequence that 10,000 items were
carried in December.
Mexico figured at the head of all Latin American countries, for the first six months of
1931, as regards aviation, 8,272 passengers, and 35,163 kilos of correspondence being
carried. A total distance of 1,538,382 Km. was traversed.
Argentina employed aeroplanes on an airway of 1,904 Km., but no statistics are available.

~~~~

Peru, wi.th an aerial route of 5,901 Km. transported 2,234 passengers and 7,812 Kilos, of
mail. The distance covered was 525,270 Km.
During February the P.A.A. and Panagra transported 334 Ibs. of correspondence between
Paramaribo and Buenos Aires. In addition, the same companies carried 1,211 Ibs. direct
to Buenos Aires.

~~~~

(By A. H. Davis)

Rod, I have put some bids in on Argentine zepp covers..so far there is still someone willing to outbid me !!

Talking to the wrong man here Phil
I am not one for the dog eat dog world I am afraid,
Ryan put me onto a fine Aussie catalogue recently,
the vendor lived 4 Km away from me,
The cat was $20, I was sniped at the last 2 seconds and lost the
book for $20.50c
Good luck to them.