EFFECT OF NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 85, 13 April 1929, Page 9

EFFECT OF NEWS

GENERAL REJOICING

The way tho good news spread yesterday afternoon was remarkable, and the. genuine-pleasure, shown on all faces was the finest tribute to the splendid personal impression created here by.the intrepid aerial pioneers,V and to the confidence ''in. their .survival, which, .•in i the majority of people, was dying hard.' No more'carefully thought out flight,, and no more resourceful aviators, ever embarked upon an aerial enterprise, and it accentuated .the delight: of the public that its buoyant: optimism was vindicated after nearly a fortnight's silence. . - There was.a rapidly increasing crowd, outside "The Post" window as'soon as the message.was posted there. Most of .them.looked hard at the message, and then made for the (nearest telephone, eager ;no.t to waste a minute in notifying friends, who forthwith'passed the news on. Subrexchanges ; in. the big buildings had a busy time, and ml the street, there was only one topic. • Con-' jeeture succeeded satisfaction; v and many were the weird explanations of; the aviators' landing,' and the food and water problems they faced.. Wherever .the ..news arrived 1, < it immediately suspended proceedings.' It was wonderful ,to the way some of the staidest' citizens forgot their dignity, and many people who have never before addressed . strangers in the street broke unceremoniously into .overheard conversations. ■•."■' -

"/When it is. realised from.the cables •thatjthe enthusiasm 1 in. Wellington was reproduced in...everyI, '• centre of the world, the intense; inteniational 11. community of 'interest: aroused by. these pioneers of aviation,; niay be imagined. Every recognised, probable or possible source of information was, flooded with telephone, .inquiries, when 'the news began to spread. The"Evening Post" office has nine telephone lines open to the ■ipublic,: and from almost the. moment the news, was ' received all the' lines .wero commandeered by inquirers, .who completely blocked air normal use of the .telephones; The public inquiry office of the ; telephone • department at tlie. G.P.O. was smothered, and- the attendants had a tiring hour or two. :Thenews, of the safety of the airmen was received at 3 p.m., just too late for inclusion' in the first edition* of the "Evening Post." • The report, however, was circulated, and numerous inquiries from our country readers for confirmation, were received ■at this Office.' ' , ... 7 ; .'.■"■ ■. '■■ i ■' ';: '