国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

It was decided that the expedition should be regarded as Swedish, and that it should be placed, during its stay in China, under the protection of the Swedish Legation. The German members should comprise a number of aviation experts, a meteorologist, a film operator and cameraman and an accountant. Four depots, each of which should have its own wireless station and meteorological observatory, were to be established between Peking and Urumchi. At each depot two of the German members were to be left behind until the conclusion of the expedition, that is, as we then reckoned, for one or one and a half years.

Professor JUNKERS' original plan had been to supply the depot with fuel by air, in petrol-tankers; but it was found that this would be impracticable on account of the long distances, and we realized the necessity of transporting petrol to the depots with camels from the west and the east. Thus, at an early stage in our discussions and calculations it was clear that the enterprise must fall into three different expeditions:

I. a preliminary expedition with camel caravans for ground service along the whole of the projected air-route. This would include the selection of suitable depots, investigation and topographical description of the ground, etc.;

2.  a special expedition for the transport of the petrol for the first flights; and

3.  the first flight from Berlin and back.

In our discussions we also went over the costs for equipment, instruments, caravans, journeys to China, reports and telegrams, and the salaries of those participating etc. For my own part, I refused a salary, but stipulated that I should have the right to narrate the adventures of the expedition in popular form and that other members should not be entitled to publish their reminiscences until two years later. I also reserved to myself the right to publish in a special series, after the conclusion of the expedition, the results of all research carried out by the scientifically trained members. It is this series, Reports from the Scientific Expedition to the North-Western Provinces of China under the Leadership of Dr SVEN HEDIN, that since 1937 has been under publication at the expense of the Swedish State and private patrons.

A science that the aviation experts had very close to their hearts was meteorology. They hoped for as comprehensive a survey as possible of the prevailing winds, cloudiness, sandstorms and snow-storms etc. — in a word, all the climatic and meteorological factors that must be considered in connection with an air-route. Professor GEORGII was at first entrusted with the work in this sphere; and he also worked out a plan for the measurement of gravitational forces during the journey. He was, however, afterwards prevented by another important commission from taking part, and Dr WALDEMAR HAur E was appointed in his stead.

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