AVIATION IN AMERICA. MELITA MUEDER CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19169, 7 November 1925, Page 11

AVIATION IN AMERICA.

MELITA MUEDER CASE.

| REPORT OF A COMMITTEE, j ! IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS, j | A. and N.Z. WASHINGTON Nov. 5. j The Special Aviation Committee lias isj sued its report, after six months' investi- I ! gation, of aviation throughout'" the world, i I The report says the United States are j l being out-distanced in the development of \ ; commercial aviation by all the other ini- ; | portant nations, in spite of the fact that j ' the conditions in the United States are j : the most favourable in the world for that I i development. j The committee recommends: — j (1) The withdrawal of the Government j ; from participation in non-militarv flying, j j including the air mail services. (2) Government co-operation and aid to | j the private aeroplane industry. (3) The establishment of a Bureau of j ! Civil Aeronautics, under the Department I ! of Commerce, to regulate navigation and pilots and to promote industry and trade, especially the development of foreign j markets for American aircraft equipment. (4) The establishment of State landing j fields. I (5) Public support through the conj sideration of commercial aviation invest--5 merits and modified insurance rates, j The committee lays stress on the neces--1 sity for a ratification of the Internationa! ! Air Navigation Convention, which the i most important nations have already ap- | proved.

! FIRST OFFICER GN TRIAL. MENTAL CONDITION SOUND. Eeuter. LONDON. Nov. 6. The first officer of the Canadian-Pacific liner Melita, Towers, was charged to-day with the murder of Captain Clews and the attempted murder of the chief engineer, Mr. Holliday, and the second engineer, Mr. D. K. Gilmour, when the vessel was at Antwerp on October 20. Counsel for the prosecution said that after the tragedy accused said he had into kill Captain Clews, Mr. Gilmour, Sir. McLennan, the purser, and himself, but the revolver failed. Counsel expressed the opinion that Towers had doubtless been suffering from an idea that he was being persecuted, and had been brooding over his lack of progress in the service. Medical evidence was given to the effect that accused was physically fit and menj tally sound. i | Towers, first officer of the Melita, went | to the captain's cabin and shot Captain | Clews through the head. He then went | to the cabin of the chief engineer, Mr. I Holliday, whom he shot in the nose. The j second engineer, Mr. Gilmour, who was j among the other officers attracted by the j soise, was shot twice through the lungs. ! The Antwerp police opened an inquiry, I but as Towers is British and the shooting j occurred on a British ship, only formal I evidence was taken. The Antwerp correspondent of the Daily Mail said Towers returned to the ship after having spent the evening ashore. He accused the cap- | tain and other officers of having hindered j his promotion. An altercation ended in ! the shooting. The Melita was met by I the police on her arrival at Southampton, j The greatest secrecy was maintained in taking off Towers. He told the police I that, his life on hoard the steamer had I been made one of misery.