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WASHINGTON AS TRANS-ATLANTIC SERVICE IS LAUNCHED-William J. Eck, assistant to the vice president of the Southern Railroad, shown receiving ticket No. 1 for the first regular trans-Atlantic flight of the Pan-American Airways from Lowell W. Lee, district traffic manager of the Airways. Mr. Eck will leave New York June 28, returning July 4, with a day and a half stopover in France. -Star Staff Photo. [[Image- Mr. Eck receiving his ticket for the trans-Atlantic flight]] [[Sticker covering part of letter]] AN ANSWER IS EXPECTED BY THE SENDER OF THIS MESSAGE. PLEASE GIVE IT TO THE MESSENGER OR TELEPHONE IT TO WESTERN UNION 2477-D- [[Letter with sticker on it]] [[Heading]] WESTERN UNION 1220 ^[[32]] SYMBOLS DL=Day Letter NL=Night Letter LC=Deferred Cable NLT=Cable Night Letter Ship Radiogram [[cut off] B. White President NEWCOMB CARLETON CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD J.C. WILLEVER FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT [[Line]] [[cut off]] -on telegrams a day letter is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination Received at 708 14th St., N.W. Washington, D.C. ^[[939 JUN 12 AM 9-32]] W J ECK.VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN RAILWAY WASHDC= THE FIRST COMMERCIAL PASSENGER FLIGHT BETWEEN UNITEDSTATES AND EUROPE IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE TWENTY EIGHT STOP WE HAVE YOUR REQUEST FOR RESERVATION STOP ONE WAY FARE THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS ROUND TRIP SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS STOP PLEASE ADVISE ME IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED AND IF YOU WANT ONE WAY OR ROUND TRIP STOP WE WILL ADVISE ON RECEIPT OF YOUR ANSWER IF YOUR RESERVATION REQUEST IS CONFIRMED. PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS V E CHENEA. [[Newspaper article]] Waits Eight Years To Fly Ocean Railroad Official to Get Ticket on Clipper Hop To Marseille W.J. Eck, an assistant vice president of the Southern railway, has waited eight years for passage to Europe by airplane. He finally got his ticket and two weeks from today he takes off from Port Washington, N.Y., or Baltimore. Forty-four hours later he will be in Marseilles, France. It was in 1931 that Pan-American Airways disclosed plans for regular transatlantic passenger service. Eck promptly reserved a seat. But international negotiations and further experimentation prolonged the preparations through the years. Eck explained he will make the trip "just for the ride." After two days in Marseilles, he said, he will climb aboard for the return journey.