INTENTIONS UNKNOWN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 95, 21 March 1938, Page 10

INTENTIONS UNKNOWN

TAKE-OFF FROM SYDNEY. SYDNEY,' March 20. Flying-Officer Clouston’s departure for New Zealand this morning caused some surprise in Sydney, as the Daily Telegraph, which is sponsoring the flight, had stated that the Sydney-New Zealand portion of the flight had been cancelled, and even yesterday published a radio telephone conversation with Flying-Officer Clouston’s mother, in which she expressed disappointment when told her son had reluctantly decided it was impossible in the time to make the New Zealand hop, as he at first had intended. Even the officials were in the dark as to his intentions. He had requested that the machine be made ready and the tanks filled for 6 o’clock this morning. When an oil company official asked him as he stepped into the machine when he expected to arrive at Darwin, Flying-Officer Clouston said he was nob going to Darwin, but was going to Blenheim. The acting-editor of the Daily telegraph stated to-night that Flying-Offi-cer Clouston found after his arrival at Sydney yesterday afternoon that it would be possible to continue to New Zealand. ~ The Sunday Sun this morning said he was returning to Darwin immediately,- and some 20 people assembled at the aerodrome to witness his departure. It was evident when he turned to the east instead of the north that he was going to New Zealand and no Darwin.