Munsey's Magazine, June 1918

About this issue

This June 1918 issue of Munsey's Magazine features an article by Postmaster-General A. S. Burleson describing the recently established U.S. Aeromail service between Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. Burleson details the establishment of the permanent aerial mail route, explaining that special-delivery letters will be carried on daily round trips in under three hours per leg. The article covers practical logistics: landing-field selection (Potomac Park in Washington, Bustleton near Philadelphia, and Belmont Park in New York), payload capacity (maximum 300 pounds per trip), aircraft specifications (Curtiss biplanes with Liberty motors), and operational coordination between the War and Post-Office Departments. Burleson provides historical context, tracing aeromail origins to 1910 and highlighting the 1911 Nassau Boulevard experiments, and addresses public safety protocols for downed aircraft. The article emphasizes commercial utility for banks and government offices requiring rapid intercity correspondence.