QUESTION OF HELP

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 11, 14 January 1928, Page 8

QUESTION OF HELP

(To th« Editor.) Sir, —Naturally, one does not desire to criticise adversely at this period. At the same time it is quite inexcusable on the part of our Government that they should not have at once appreciated the efforts of Lieut. Moncrieff and Captain Hood in their efforts to be the first to cross the Tasman by.airplane. It was quite understood that the Government did not countenance the action of the pioneers in question; at the same time it was their duty to at least have had one or two airplane's to greet these men on their arrival on the coast of New Zealand, even if only from the point of view of honouring them, and quite apart—and this should have certainly been done—to act as a guide to the best point for landing if they were later than was anticipated. Without a wireless how could one, with ordinary knowledge of flying, not at once have grasped the situation that these men may have got out of their reckoning by a few miles and with the land obscured at certain points they would not be able to pick up their bearings. The aid of an. airplane with men of local knowledge from experience in the past would havo probably saved all this anxiety. When one reflects that the Government could not or would not even honour them with an air reception, it makes one think. Even a steamer— Government or otherwise—could have been sent out to the Straits or in a line with the route the airmen were expected to take to act as a guide or a safeguard. No—everything is left to the last, and even hours afterwards action is only taken. The Government was only too ready to grant the New Zealand cricketers £1000 on their return to New Zealand to make up their losses, but when two such men as Moncrieff and Hood stand out as men and heroes, nothing is done. Had a noted personage or an athlete arrived by steamer from abroad or Australia there would have been a Mayoral reception or Government reception probably. It is notable the number of Ministers of the Crown who waited at Trentham, but where were these Ministers in their prior regard to show honour as should have been shown, when the airmen were approaching the coast, and the latter in a state of mind one does not wish to think, when so near their journey's end and anxiously looking for a landing-place or some help.—l am, etc., RESIDENT. 12th January. (To the Editor.) Sir, —There are a few things in connection with this airplane mishap that are inexplicable. Airmen should know the difficulty of landing in cloudy conditions in a new place, especially in a place surrounded on three sides by water, and there was plenty of time to get a 'plane from Christchurch. Airplanes wont over the Channel during the war—and do now. The absence of wireless advice may be blamed. Then there is the fact that all the warships are elsewhere. Of any place in New Zealand Auckland is the worst if anything needs the presence of warships in any other part of New Zealand. It is about 600 miles from the capital. Do you know of any other naval base so far from the capital? Do you know of any capital so far away from aeroplane depots as Wellington1? The airmen may

have made a mistake, but what help was forthcoming at the time?—l am, etc., B.W. 12th January.