VOYAGER REPORT Reaction Bitter

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30531, 28 August 1964, Page 11

VOYAGER REPORT Reaction Bitter

(N.Z. Press Association —Copi/riflhtt SYDNEY, August 27. The Australian Opposition Leader (Mr Calwell) said today that his party would not tolerate any attempt by the Government to find a “scapegoat” to cover the deficiences revealed by Mr Justice Spicer’s report on the loss of the Voyager.

Sydney afternoon newspapers were sharply critical today of the Voyager Royal Commission’s report and called for a searching overhaul of the Royal Australian Navy.

From Canberra today, the “Sun’s” political correspondent reported that the biggest shake-up in the history of the Royal Australian Navy seemed inevitable. The Labour Opposition is reserving action until Sir Robert Menzies submits his promised statement to Parliament on the Naval Board’s report on the findings. At the outset of the Royal Commission, Mr Calwell had pressed for a much wider inquiry, and the Opposition sought an investigation into mishaps which preceded the Voyager disaster.

Mr Calwell said his colleagues had expressed some disquiet at what could only be regarded as the inadequacies of the report The report raised as many questions as it answered, Mr Calwell said. In many respects it 'appeared to be “little more than a summary of evidence.” Mr Calwell said, in some cases, he found it difficult to reconcile the evidence he adduced with the conclusions drawn by the Royal Commissioner. Naval Report The Naval Board is expected to submit a report to the Federal Government next week on the conclusions reached by Mr Justice Spicer. The Prime Minister (Sir

Robert Menzies) and senior ministers would then decide if the line of action and reform recommended by the board met a situation which had acutely embarrassed the Government, the “Sun” correspondent said. “The glaring deficiencies exposed by Mr Justice Spicer have raised grave doubts about the Navy’s system of training and procedures,” he said. The “Daily Mirror” said, “This great tragedy cannot be passed off with a brief ‘Bad luck, old boy’.” The “Sun” said the public refused to think of the tragedy as just a poor show—“to use the comforting euphemism of service par-

lance"—and would not expect the matter to end with the Royal Commissioner’s findings. Mr Justice Spicer’s report on the loss of the destroyer did nothing to remove the very deep public unease, said the “Mirror.” “Blames The Dead” “The Voyager was lost pointlessly, through inefficiency. Reduced to a single damning word, that is what the Royal Commissioner has determined. “Why? The report does not say. It blames the dead for the collision and expresses some curiously mild criticism of the Melbourne’s personnel. “But the unservicable boats on the Melbourne, the missing door spanners on the Voyager and other instances of downright slovenliness in naval control at all levels are a major indictment.” “The Sun” said it was extraordinary that, although the Royal Commissioner was able

to point to some neglect and fault on both ships, he had not been able to report that anyone had done anything conspicuous to prevent the collision—except the captain of the Melbourne, who had ordered full speed astern when it was too late. This was astonishing when one considered that the inquiry dealt with men who were supposed to be highly trained and efficient, the “Sun” said. “There was positive evidence of appalling and (in the event) tragic inefficiency in escape hatches for which there were no spanners, loudspeakers systems “on the blink” and other matters. “The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, has promised a full parliamentary debate on the Voyager report, and that is as it should be. But it is not enough,” “The Sun” said. “The whole matter must be taken into Cabinet, and Navy efficiency, equipment, maintenance and system of promotions and appointments to command examined and ruthlessly changed where necessary,” the newspaper said. The “Mirror” said: “Heretical as it may sound to shoregoing admirals, it could well be time that we brought in some top naval trouble-shooter from elsewhere—or even disturbed the stately progress of naval seniority by promoting the most brilliant of our younger captains. “Traditionally, we would expect any imported expert to come from the Royal Navy, but there is no special reason why this should be so.

“In fact, it is more probable today that we could find the right man in the United States Navy, the world's biggest, whose attempts to eliminate human error go as far as running ‘dry’ ships.” The “Daily Mirror’s” Canberra correspondent said marked dissatisfaction with the Royal Commissioner’s report rippled through parliamentary lobbies today.