I began the scheming of my play "Judith" yesterday. Made good progress. I have promised to complete it by the end of January. I have told Lillah that she can expect to reveal almost all in the climactic scene; she appears sanguine.
I went and had tea with Weir, President of the Air Board, at his request. he wanted me to put a speech in order for him which he is going to deliver in Manchester on Friday, and in which he will define the proper British air policy for the future. He told me some interesting things. He said that the great difficulty in long distance flying now was not mechanical but navigational. As an example, a big machine had started for India from London on Friday and, coming into a storm, had come down in France. He said that the commander, a General, was a first class pilot etc., but if he had been a really first class expert in navigation, such as they do possess, he would never have come down. 
Weir said that he had been up in a 'flying boat' weighing seventeen and a half tons carrying nine passengers and a ton of goods, that travelled at 118 miles per hour and carried enough petrol for 1,000 miles. He said that the projected flight to the United States would occur between March 15th and April 15th. On politics he was extremely grave and bitter.I kicked myself after I came away because I could easily have asked if he would arrange for me to have a flight. It was in my mind all through the interview but I couldn't quite commit myself. Scared! I wonder if I will ever take a flight? The rate of change of machines is simply amazing. Where will it all end?
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