Germany Leads

Some months ago (TIME, Aug. 30) the U. S. Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce published a survey that showed the U. S. leading the world in commercial aviation with some 5,500,000 miles flown, some 200,000 passengers in the past year. The figures were misleading because: 1) The geographical size of the U. S. swelled the mileage total over figures for European countries; 2) The U. S. passengers were not carried over regularly scheduled lines from point to point, but included trippers and excursionists going up for trial spins at amusement parks. Last week figures on European aviation were published and few were surprised to see that Germany, rehabilitated, industrious, led all her neighbor nations in the air. Germans had flown 4,500,000 miles, carrying 133,639 passengers over routes for the most part regularly scheduled. France was second with 2,928,447 miles flown and 19,768 passengers. Great Britain covered 855,000 miles, carrying 14,675 passengers. Again geographical differences accounted for the mileage discrepancies, at least in Britain's case, but the enormous lead of Germany over the others in respect to passengers was most striking, reflecting as it did a highly developed network of air transport at the public disposal. Features of the European year were: the success of Belgium's route to the Kongo, cutting the time from Brussels to three days from six weeks, the 70% increase of Austria's air mileage in 1925 over 1924, of 100% in passengers, of 180% in air freight.