Satisfaction with Boy Roel report

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33005, 26 August 1972, Page 3

Satisfaction with Boy Roel report

f.Veu? Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 25. The Marine Department was satisfied that the silence of the Boy Roel was caused first by a malfunction of the transmitter and then by the failure of the ship's generator, which left the ship without electrical power, said the Minister of Marine (Mr Gordon ) today.

dramatise the trip and sell 11 the tapes. I Mr McLachlan also asked < 'whether efforts related to re- < ;cording the tapes, if directed I towards getting messages tod i New Zealand, would have alleviated much anxiety and saved taxpayers’ money. Mr Gordon said that be- 1 cause of the transmitter and , generator problems, any!l efforts expended in recording tapes could not have been l better directed. < Replying to Mr W. G. Tol- j hurst (Nat., Wanganui), Mr 1 Gordon denied the truth of ? a report that the crew of the *

He was replying to a Parliamentary question from Mr C. A. McLachlan (Nat., Ashbur-> ton) who asked about a report that the organiser of Peace Media Research Project had five hours of tape which told a fantastic story that ; would be sold to the highest bidder. He asked if the Minister would inquire if the silence ! of the Boy Roel was associ- i ated with the intention to i

’Boy Roel was interrogated; for three hours by American] officials in Pago Pago and 25 j questions were asked on be-’ half of the New Zealand ‘Marine Department. U.S. VISIT “The Marine Department cabled American officials in; Pago Pago asking them to] debrief the crew of the Boy! Roel.” said Mr Gordon. “The Assistant Attorney-) General of the Government of American Samoa visited, the vessel on August 10 and) he reported that the crew] were extremely friendly,] courteous and helpful. “An appointment was made for members of the crew to call at his office the following day. Only Captain Brooks and Messrs Graham and Cooper called and they made voluntary statements about their experiences dur- ] ing the voyage of the Boy Roel,” said Mr Gordon.