VEIL OF SILENCE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 April 1929, Page 5

VEIL OF SILENCE

SOUTHERN CROSS FLIERS j NO NEWS RECEIVED. NATIVE RUNNERS SENT OUT. (United rresa Assnciat ion -By Elect ri" Telegraph Copyright.) l Australian Press Association.) SYDNEY. April 2. No definite information has yet been received! concerning the whereabouts of the Southern Cross. Latest advice from Wyndham states that native runner,si have been despatched from the Forest River mission station to the Drysdatic, mission 100 miles distant seeking news of tb? Southern Cross. It miners a,ie the only means cd communication according to tJio Jiam police. The Forest ‘.River mission is 20 miles north-west of Wyndham j Drysdale is 100 utiles further m the same direction. The Southern Cross carried food sufficient for three or four meal’s. . ... ... Eight inches of rain fell at Wyndham in the 24 hours up- to 9 o’clock on Monday morning, Practically none has fallen since. , . . . . v , r The ‘Svdnev Sun,” winch is specui-Ly interested in'the flight, -says mystery envelopes the departure' of the party on Saturday. It wasi advised on i ue.rday to delay the flight until it received an official O.K. f rom Wyndham. It would no-tv appear this official! message was not- received because a telegram from Wyndham on Saiturday afterneon expressed astonishment a the departure and urged that the plane must be recalled in view of the dangeions conditions -at Wyndham. SquadronLeader C. E. Kingrford Smith oouhl not have received this information because his aerial had gone. A veil of silence still covers the airmen. The relief plane, which has to base its operations on Wyndham, may have difficulty owing to the nun-sodden ground there- being unsuitable tor i-anding. , , , No word has been received here at ,a late hour to-night of the Southern Cross or the searchers. ANOTHER ’PLANE TO SEARCH. SUGGESTED FAKE MESSAGE. * Received 9.50 a.m. to-day SYDNEY. April 3. Commander Wackett has been instructed by the Defence Department to assist in the search for the Southern Cross. He leaves Richmond aerodrome as soon as possible. cm, up Sq itadlro n- Leader Ivingsford Smith made a -statement which suggested that he and Flight Lieutenant Ulm were misled bv a faked message before then departure. The message was to the effect that the ground at Wyndham «as drvinu rapidly and that there was good weather all along the route.