PART-OWNER PLEASED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20766, 8 January 1931, Page 10

PART-OWNER PLEASED.

RADIO CONVERSATION. COMING TO NEW ZEALAND. FLIGHTS THROUGH COUNTRY. (Received January 8. 1 a.m.)' SYDNEY, Jan. 7. Mr. C. A. James, who possesses an interest in the Southern Cross Junior had a radiophone conversation with Mr. Menzies to-night, but as the latter's hearing was affected by the noise of the propeller during his flight it was not very satisfactory. Mr. James, however, was pleased to learn from Mr. Menzies that the aeroplane was not very badly damaged. He sails for New Zealand on Friday and the Southern Cross Junior will bo flown in all parts of the Dominion.

SECRET WELL KEPT.

MOTHER IN IGNORANCE.

SUCCESS AMAZES SYDNEY.

(Received January 7, 11.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 7

When a reporter on the Sydney Morning Herald this afternoon telephoned to Mr. Guy Menzies' mother saying her son had arrived in New Zealand after flying across the Tasinan, she replied, "Thank you very much. It is wonderful to know that ho is safe." Mrs. Menzies added: "Wo knew absolutely nothing about tho flight until Guy's brother informed us at six o'clock this morning. It was a tremendous surprise to us, and naturally wo wero a little nervous. That is possibly why he kept his plans so secret." His mother was not even awaro that Guy had bought the Southern Cross Junior.

The evening newspapers on their billboards say:-—"Lone Sydney flier crosses Tasman and crashes in New Zealand." The whole city is amazed at the successful accomplishment of the daring flight by so youthful an airman.

TALK " OVER THE AIR."

PLANS OF MR. MENZIES. A STAY IN CHRISTCHURCH. [BY TELEGRAPn.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Wednesday. It was announced from station 3YA early this evening that arrangements had been made for Mr. Menzies to speak "over the air." In spito of his statement that he was tired and worried his voice sounded clear and fresh and came over the air very distinctly. "Well, I haven't much to say," were the opening words of tho pilot's talk, "but I can say that I have got to thank all the people I have met so far in New Zealand for the wonderful welcome they have given me. The trip over was rather trying and the weather was rather rough, but otherwise everything was O.K. I had a bit of bad luck in landing but I expect the machine will be ready in two days and I will be coming over to Christchurch then. I will be here for a couple of days getting the machine fixed up. I expect to be in New Zealand for a fortnight or three weeks and I will spend a considerable amount of that time in Christchurch.''

"This is my first trip over here," Mr. Menzies said to a representative of the Christchurch Press over the telephone after he had finished his talk over the wireless. "I was born in Sydney," he said, replying to an inquiry, "and I am about 32 years of age."

FIRST NEWS OF FLIGHT.

COMPLETE SURPRISE SPRUNG. NO MISLEADING RUMOURS. Hie first intimation that a transtasrnan flight was in progress was received in Auckland at 12.45 p.m. yesterday. The General Post Office, Wellington, instructed the chief post office, Auckland, to warn shipping that an aeroplane was flying eastward at an approximate speed of 95 miles an hour. The Government wireless station in Auckland sent out a Morse message at intervals, advising ships to keep a shnrp look-out for the aeroplane. As subsequent events proved, Mr. Menzies was then within two and a half hours of his objective and ho did not cross the tracks of any ships. The flight was free from the numerous rumours which took rapid wing when an anxious look-out was being maintained three years ago for Messrs. Hood and Moncrieff. Reports that those ill-fated airmen had been sighted came from several parts of Now Zealand. In the case of Mr. Menzies' flight, the first news of his arrival came in a telegram from ITokitika, reporting that the airman had landed about 50 miles south of (hat town. Confirmatory news quickly arrived in a telegram from Ross, and the details supplied—even to the initials of the farmer in whose swamp the Southern Cross Junior landed—made it certain that the Tasman had been conquered by air a second time by an eastward flier.