3 JUNE 1920 Reuters Peking reported on the 29th that the three aeroplanes despatched to Hankow had reached Changchow, a large town just south of the Yellow River, near Kai-feng-fu and about half way from Peking to Hankow. General Chang Tso-lin recently telegraphed to the Government asking for three military aeroplanes, accompanied by the necessary aerial experts. As General Chang specified military aeroplanes, three of the old French machines were sent to him yesterday. Three trained students accompanied the machines. The Italian Rome-Tokyo machine arrived in Shanghai when I was there and I had a talk with the Pilot. He had put up a very good performance as most of the last 500 miles he had flown was over a very difficult country indeed. The Italians are offering commercial machines here as well, but at very much less than cost price, though I have not heard of their giving any machines away at present. They are following up the Rome-Tokyo flight with offers of machines to any one who is really interested in commercial Aviation. The Americans are doing very little, though we have some of their machines near Hongkong at a place called Macao mostly Curtiss H.16 and Aeromarines. I went into the subject of Air disturbances with the French Priests at Zikawei who are supposed to be the authorities on the subject in China. Most of the typhoons one gets on this Coast start East of Manila and go slightly northwest to the China Coast at a speed of anything from 6 to 15 miles an hour. On reaching the China Coast 75 per cent of them turn northeast and go up to and past Japan, the remaining 25 per cent going slightly southwest and into the interior. A storm is estimated to get to a height of about 6,000 feet and so there should be no difficulty in modern machines getting right over it. The disturbance lasts for usually two days but they vary in breadth from 10 miles to 700 miles. The wind force is usually from 9 to 12. On these statements I do not anticipate any serious trouble from typhoons on this Coast except extra work in housing machines. As regards flying along the Coast, it is only suitable for flying boats. There is plenty of sheltered water in bays from here to Shanghai and in my opinion it is ideal for any sea machines. The country is bad for lend machines from Canton east of a line drawn directly from Canton to Nanking. I trust this information will be of some use to you and shall be glad if you will let me know if it is or not. Faithfully yours, Alfred Lamplugh. Late Flight Lieut. 11 Sqdn.
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