Aviation Inquiry in Private

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 149, 25 June 1937, Page 5

Aviation Inquiry in Private

Minister Gives His Reasons for Course Taken WANTS TO GET ALL THE FACTS Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The reasons for the inquiry into the aviation accident at Big Bay on December 31 being held in private were explained by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, in a statement to-night. He said that the question had been . carefully considered and it was felt that ; the full facts concerning an accident j could best be ascertained by taking the proceedings in private. His only con- j cern was to see that in the public inter- ; est the full facts were ascertained, and that in doing so no-one was placed in an unfavourable position because he was required to give evidence. Referring to a Press Association message from Invercargill concerning an application by the counsel for the Air Department that the inquiry be held in private, Mr. Jones said that, as far as he himself or the Department was concerned, there was no reason w’hy an inquiry should not be public. The matter had been very carefully considered both* by himself and tho Air Board, and it was considered that, as the interests of aviation in New Zealand must be the paramount consideration, the full facts concerning an accident could best be ascertained by a private inquiry. A board of inquiry was not in the same position as an ordinary Court in that it was to make recommendations only and was not empowered to impose penalties such as was the case, for example, in a marine inquiry. “As the application by counsel and the subsequent discussion have been very fully reported," said the Minister, “I think it fair to add that my only reasons for requesting a private inquiry were:— “(1) To enable ail possible evidence as to the cause of the accident to be produced so that action can be taken to see that similar accidents of the same kind may be avoided in future and “(2) That no party to the inquiry, such as a pilot of a machine, should possibly have his standing as a pilot impaired because of the fact that he is required to give evidence at the inquiry. * “I feel that a board of inquiry, such as this, which is to investigate and report on an accident and to include in its report observations and recommendations with a view to the preservation of life and the avoidance of similar accidents in the future should be afforded an opportunity of obtaining possession of all relevant facts from witnesses. "As soon as the report of the board has been received and considered a full statement will be issued to the public.” GERMAN OFFICIAL STATEMENT BERLIN, June 23. Baron von Neurath assured the British and French Ambassadors that Germany is not taking further action in connection with tho ermser Leipzig incident. Herr von Ribbentrop, German Ambassador in London, has issued an official explanation of Germany's attitude, stating that she disclaims territorial ambitions towards Spain or the Spanish colonies, desiring only Spanish independence. For this reason it should be the duty of European States to adopt a common attitude towards appeals from Moscow in the direction of replacing a system of free States by international chaos tyrannised by the Soviet. Germany had consistently tried to confine the Spanish strife to a domestic ambit, but the action of democratic States restricted this plan, especailly regarding the supply of volunteers and material to Valencia. The attacks on German, Italian and British ships at Palma had forced Germany to change : her base to Iviza where the attack on j the Deutschland compelled Germany, knowing that the committee would not take action, to adopt the only natural reprisals. The communique reviewes the British and French attitude regarding the naval demonstration off Valencia, and describes this attitude as encouraging pirates in criminal attacks. It adds that Germany would not tolerate doubts of her statements on questions of fact. : Moreover, inquiry would be futile, j It was semi-officially announced i earlier that Germany ‘ had notified Britain that the insistence of the western Powers for inquiry before a naval demonstration was incomprehensible, especially in view of the notorious untrustworthiness of Bolshevists, which had been particularly revealed in con- 1 ncction with the Deutschland incident, j The communique discloses that Germany has not only dropped the original demand for reparation but the demand for the internment of loyalist submariues. It had agreed to an investiga- | tion immediately after the naval demon- : stration, but as these proposals were | rejected, the failure of the Powers to : agree was inevitable. “Naval control j thue became impossible and participa- | therein intolerable to any peojde ■ sensible of its honour," says the comj munique. “It is better for individual j Powers to take the protection of their J own interests into thenr own bands." TWO MINES DISCOVERED. BARCELONA, June 23. The naval authorities report the discovery of two mines at Capo Bajur, seventy miles north-east of Barcelona, which were taken ashore for examination. FORTY-THREE ITALIAN AIRMEN KILLED ROME, Juue 23. It is officially announced that fortythree volunteer Italian airmen have been killed in the Spanish war. It ia claimed that Italian aviators in Spain brought down 218 French, British, Russian and American 'planes.