“WONDERFUL TO BE ALIVE”

Evening Star, Issue 26011, 28 January 1947, Page 4

“WONDERFUL TO BE ALIVE”

GRACE MOORE’S LAST WORDS OVERLOADING NOT CAUSE OF CRASH (Rec. 9 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 27. A K.L.M. official told Reuter’s correspondent at The Hague that the Dakota which crashed at Kastrup airport (Denmark) carried about 3,000.1 b less than the allowable maximum weight. The crash could not have ’been caused by overloading. A theory being investigated was that there was some defect in the elevator control. Prince Gustav’s remains have been taken to Sweden in a Swedish warship. Miss Grace Moore, in a last interview published in a Copenhagen newspaper to-day, said: “ It is wonderful to live and sing. I want to. play in a new opera where the heroine doesn’t die. It is wonderful to be alive, isn’t it? ”

A director of K.L.M., Dr A. Plesman, in an interview, gave three reasons why the allegations that the crashed Dakota was overloaded were probably unfounded j first, the plane, immediately after it took off, rose steeply, which it could not have done if it had been overloaded; secondly, such an experienced pilot as Geysandorffer would never have allowed overloading; thirdly, the presence of such an important passenger as the son of the Swedish Crown Prince completely excluded the taking olf any risk. Grace Moore was to have visited New Zealand,. possibly next year. Mr Nathan Scheinwald, director of the concert division of Theatre Management Ltd., was negotiating with Miss Moore for a tour of Australia and New Zealand.