§ 38. Mr. L'ESTRANGE MALONEasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he has any information concerning the establishment of a Berlin-Nanking air service by the German Lufthansa Company; whether he is aware that an air expert has been attached to the United States trade commissioner's office in Shanghai; and what steps are being taken to further the interests of British civil aviation in the Far East?
§ Mr. MONTAGUEAs regards the first part of the question, an agreement was signed a few months ago between the Chinese Government and the Deutsche Lufthansa for the establishment of a Berlin-Nanking air service, and a SinoGerman air traffic company is about to be formed which will be financed both by the Chinese Government and the Lufthansa. The air service between Berlin and Shanghai, via Nanking, is to be confined to the carriage of mails in the first place, but later may be used for the transport of passengers. The Berlin-Peiping section of the route is expected to be in operation during next spring, but it will probably be another year before a regular service between Peiping and Nanking is in operation. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part of the question, any proposals for furthering British aviation in the Far East will be sympathetically considered.