ITALIA TRAGEDY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 25 July 1928, Page 7

ITALIA TRAGEDY

INQUIRY TO BE HELD. MUSSOLINI’S STATEMENT. - MYSTERY OF MALMGREN’S END. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegii.pl/ Copyright.) (Australian cress Association.) _. LONDON, July 23. The Rome correspondent- of “The Times” reports that Signor Mussolini, in announcing that an inquiry would eventually be -held into- the Nobile expedition, informed the Cabinet that “before definitely forming judgment- it i.s necessary to wait until the drama; has reached its epilogue. We must protest against the wave of inhumanity and hostility against the protagonists- of this unfortunate enterprise, whose members' have shown courage -deserving of universal respect. “Only when all possible -human research has been made to trace the other victims will a regular inquiry into all the phases of the expedition be instituted. It will be held in Italy by Italains. Any other hypothesis is absurd, offensive, and will beimmediately rejected.” Signor Mussolini thanked all who had assisted in the rescues, particularly the captain and crew of the Krassin, and concluded- by paying tribtue to the heroism displayed by the Swedish scientist Dr. Malmgren. A Russian journalist -.aboard the Krassin has declared that when rescued Commander Zappi was wearing some of Professor Malmgren’® clothing. He adds- that the crew of the Italian and 'members of the Krassin expedition were greatly excited over the mystpry of Malmgren’® end.

PROF ESSOR MAL MiG REN ’ S D RATH

SURVIVOR’S RAMBLING STATE-

MENTS

RUMOUR THAT BODY WAS EATEN

LONDON, July 24. The newspaper “Folkets Avis” has receii ed a telegram from Oslo announcing rumours that Commanders Zappi and Mariano, survivors of the Italia disaster, ate Professor * Malmgren s body, which accounts for the mystery surrounding their trek across the ice, states tbe'Copenhagen correspondent ol the “Daily Mail.” ' . It is also rumoured in Oslo that Zappi became ill following serious charges in connection with Malmgren’s death. The Krassin’s physician has expressed the opinion that Zappi had been foodless tor three days when rescued and Mariano for five days. A private telegram to an Oslo paper states that Zappi’® utterances aboard the Krassin were most wandering m character. His statement that he was loodless for sixteen days surprised the physician, who considered three days' , ast more probable in view of Zappi’s physical and mental condition. Manano’s state was such, however, that it was feared he would not survive. When the Russians were landing on an ice floe from the Krassin they asked Zappi where Malmgren was. Zappi pointed a few yards away, but there was no sign of Malmgren. Zappi then stated that Malmgren was .left on Broca’s Island. The Russians replied that they would seek him there, and Zappi made response : “That’s not the way. either; he remained behind on tne 10 The airman Ckuknovsky, who'sighted the Malmgren party before, the Krassin rescued them, says: I circled round the camp several times to fix the locality. I did not drop any of my small'food supply, because the ice block whereon the- camp stood was so small that the food might not have reached its destination. My fellow travellers agree there were two men on the ice block One waved d handkerchief. A third figure m the form of a capital A lay on the ice block a tew yards distant. I then flew back to the Krassin.” . . . Chuknovsky’s mechanic corroborates the report that a third man was seen on the ice with outstretched arms.