ORIGINATOR OF MESSAGE NOT KNOWN: SUPPRESSION DENIED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22823, 18 December 1948, Page 6

ORIGINATOR OF MESSAGE NOT KNOWN: SUPPRESSION DENIED

NEWS DELAY INQUIRY

(P.A.)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 17,

The investigation into the circumstances relating - to the release of information to the public about the finding of the Electra aircraft Kaka, which crashed on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu on October 23, and the subsequent recovery of the bodies of the passengers and crew, was continued today by the commission of inquiry.

The commission is inquiring whether there was any undue or improper withholding of public information, or restrictions placed on Press representatives, and if so upon whose directions. Information Officer in Box Charles Henry Williams, assistant information officer in the Prime Minister’s Department and at present in charge of the Information ' Section, said he was aware that on Friday, October 29. a message was transmitted through Air Control purporting to have the authority of the Prime Minister’s Department. He was not aware at the time that a message had been passed. He had made a complete check of all those who could possibly have been concerned with the originating of the message.

Nash to be kept informed,” while speaking on the telephone to an officer of the Air Department. Witness agreed that he had used the words.

■‘l am satisfied that no such message originated from the Prime Minister’s Department or acting-Prime Minister’s Department," said His _ inciuirics had extended to the actingPrime Minister’s staff and to officers of the Minister in charge of civil aviation, None knew anything of the message. Witness said the first he knew of any difficulty with the press was the morning of Saturday. October 30. Mr. Nash rang him at his home and asked for an explanation of the story in (he press that morning.

On the Saturday morning, as a result of a Press Association message which had been published, said witness, many people, including the operations room, thought that perhaps some such action should be taken. It was a misunderstanding purely caused by the Press Association message that he was clearing up. Wybert had come to him and had said that he could not get information, added witness. To assist him, witness had rung the control room and had discovered that, there they were confused by the Press Association message. His words meant that Mr. Nash had at no stage wished to be a channel of information, nor had he been, but that lie would be kept informed, as was the Prime Minister at all times, without any relation to the press. Who Was Involved? Mr. Leicester asked whether it might be taken that if the message ‘‘on the authority of the Prime Minister’s Department” were genuine, it would be the Publicity Section involved? Mr. Cleary: The Information Section.

Mr. T. P Cleary, for the Crown, read from the story published on October 30: “Any information would be issued through the Publicity Section of the Prime Minister’s Department.” Mr. Cleary: Is it correct that there was anv direction, instruction or understanding that the information would be issued through or by the Information Sect’on of the Prime Minister’s Department? Not Involved With Press Witness: No, we had not been involved with the press at any stage. Witness said he went to Mr. Nash’s office and was present when Mr. Nash communicated with senior officers of the departments concerned to check on the story. Both witness and Mr. Nash snoke to Mr. E. A Gibson, Director of Civil Aviation on the telephone. Mr. Nash also communicated in the witness’ presence with Mr. Madden, _ actingCommissioner of Police and with senior officers of the Air Department. As a result of those various inquiries Mr Nash dictated to Williams the remarks he wished to make in reply. The two of them discussed the whole subject and witness then prepared a draft statement which, after approval, was released through the Press Gallery for the evening papers.

Mr. Leicester: The Information Section; the Publicity Section occurs only in November (laughter). Witness said that if the message were genuine it could have come from any executive officer working with the Prime Minister or from a secretary.

Witness said the period from about 9.20 a.m. to after midday was occupied by Mr. Nash and himself in making inquries. Referring to Mr Nash’s conversation with Mr. Madden, witness said: “Mr. Nash was vqry concerned at the statement in the paper and with him I discussed the possibilities of its urgent rectification, concerning which he was quite clear as to the necessity. That was followed by the conversation with Mr. Madden and Mr. Nash instructed him to see, regardless of what had taken place, that pressmen were catered for from then on. Mr. Nash said he would look into the other matter later." To the chairman, Sir Harold Johnston, witness said the Information Section was set up, first, to secure information for the press and the public when ordinary communications failed; secondly, to allay public alarm on such occasions: and, thirdly, to take the strain off departments such as the P. and T., Transport and Police, in particular, when crises developed. The chairman: Does the press cooperate? “Only Departmental Necessity.”

To Mr. Stevenson, witness said Mr. Nash was very concerned about the Press Association message. He had had a telephone conversation with Gibson on the Saturday in which the message was the gist of the conversation. Witness added that he could give no explanation at all as to jvhy Scott should have marked down the message as originating from the Prime Minister's Department. ‘‘Absolute nonsense,” was witness’ reply to Mr. Stevenson when counsel recalled that in evidence Scott had stated that the Prime Minister’s Department had ruled the giving out of information by the Air Department. News For Nexl-of-Kin Witness, recalling discussions which had taken place among Mr. Nash, Mr. Jones and the Director of Civil Aviation and N.A.C. on the question of notifying relatives before the dissemination of news of the finding of the aircraft, said it had been hoped that such an arrangement would be possible. It would not be operated to the detriment of the editions of papers and would be done in a working arrangement with the press and radio. To the chairman, Mr. Stevenson said that what the newspapers were entitled to expect was a supply of information, which was in the public interest. In this case, private people were involved. Though the press was not entitled to a press relations officer, when he was appointed, the press was entitled to full and fair information. Sir Harold observed that it was not in the newspapers’ own interests to have supplied reports.

Witness: No, it is only a depart; mental necessity.

‘Have the press any rights?”—No,

To Mr. Cleary, witness said the section did not apply in this case a? there was no break in communications

Mr. W E. Leicester, for the New Zealand Journalists’ Association, referring to Williams’ statement that he had not been involved with the press at any stage of the disaster, said: “Do you mean that other than the statement and reply on October 30 you had no messages to be given on to the press?” Witness: None whatever. Mr. Leicester: Was it not a fact that Mr. L. K Munro, editor of the New Zealand Herald, rang Mr. Nash personally on the Saturday afternoon and told him that the press was unable to obtain statements from returning search paries, and that Mr. Nash gave instructions at 6.10 p.m. on the Saturday night to Horopito that the press were to be given such information? Witness replied that he did not know what the message was. He was in the outer office He did not know that Mr. Nash had issued further instructions. He did not do so through witness. He did not know that on October 26 Mr. Nash had obtained an undertaking from the Director of Civil Aviation relative to supplying information to the press on that day. Broadcast Statements Mr. Leicester: Is it not clear that Mr. Nash may have issued instructions regarding the suppression of news to the press of which you knew nothing? Witness: I am certain that is not so. “Certain people in Taumarunui who had their radio sets tuned in to the broadcast of the transmitter from the scene of the wreck speak of official messages stated to be from the Prime Minister’s Department that no information was to be released to the press or the public, but was to be relayed to Wellington.—No such messages emanated from out department and, in fact, we still continued to have nothing to do with press relations.” Mr. Leicester asked witness if he would deny that following the finding of the plane on the Friday his department was in communication with the police at Ohakune regarding the withholding of information to the press. Witness said iie would deny it because the checking Mr. Nash and he had done was with the heads of departments in Wellington and there was no communication other than those already referred to with Ohakune.

Witness added that at no stage of the search or later did Mr. Nash ask for or secure information through the information Section. He was not aware of any arrangement for Mr. Nash to broadcast from the floor of the House. His department was not involved. Mr. Nash did not insist on being advised immediately of any developments regarding the finding of the plane. Message Quite Inexplicable

“The message is quite inexplicable to me.” said witness. “I am quite satisfied that it did not originate with Mr. Nash personally. I am quite certain that it did not.” Mr Nash, he addded, was as gravely concerned as was witness himself. Mr. Leicester: I lake it that if any document had been discovered on the body of any officer of the Airways Corporation containing information as to the cause of the crash there was no instruction from your department that that was to be Withheld from tho press? Witness: No, none at all.

“Do you claim that as far as your department is concerned there was no arrangement with the Air Department that information was to be sent to Mr. Nash before being released to the press?—Not to my knowledge and no specific instruction was recorded concerning that.” Witness said he recalled having an interview on the Saturday afternoon with Mr. Wybert. of the Evening Post. Asked whether during the interview he had used the words. “No, I did not mean that. AH I wanted was for Mr,

Mr. Leicester said the source of news for this matter of public interest was closed at Ohakune. He told the chairman that it was a matter of discretion for one reporter to inform his colleagues of the latest reports. Sir Harold That is a scoop, isn’t it? (Proceeding)