Newspaper Complaint About Securing Information

Grey River Argus, 30 October 1948, Page 5

Newspaper Complaint About Securing Information

ABOUT KAKA RESCUE OPERATIONS P.A. WELLINGTON, Oct. 29 A system of almost war-time secrecy over reports from the scene of the air disaster was instituted to-day by the Air Department at Wellington, oh instructions, it was stated, trom the Prime Minister’s Department. Air Force and police personnel were free earlier to offer to the press the fullest information.

To-day when a Press Association representative called at Karioi landing ground, he was informed that, as from this morning, instructions had been issued by the Air Department, Wellington, tnat all press representatives were to be excluded from the ground, and no information was to be given to them. Any information, it was stated, would be issued through the Publicity Section of the Prime Ministers’ Department. Karioi landing ground is a public landing ground used by the Ruapehu Aero Club. It was taken over during the war for the Air Force use. The missing plane was discovered to-day at 8.40 The fact was immediately known to Air Control. No information was given until after the announcement by Rt. Hon. W. Nash in the House at 10.30 a.m. At 11a.m. the National Broadcasting Service repeated the announcement. It added that a ground party had left. In fact, it did not leave until 2 p.m. , x . To-night there was a broadcast of the progress report made on the ground party, and on the establishment of a second party at Blyth Hut, which is miles from the scene of the crash, when in fact no party had left for Blyth Hut up to midnight. Instructions were issued to police personnel from Wellington to-night that no information relating to to-mor-row’s activities was to be given, except given direct to the Prime Minister’s Department in Wellington.