SEARCH ABANDONED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21982, 13 December 1934, Page 13

SEARCH ABANDONED

THREE LOST AIRMEN FURTHER EFFORTS FUTILE AMERICAN ARMY AND NAVY PROFOUND REGRET EXPRESSED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 12, 7.15 p.m.) HONOLULU. Dec. 11 The Army and Navy authorities are convinced that further search is futile for the aeroplane Star of Australia, in which Mr. C. T. P. Dim, Mr. G. S. Littlejohn and Mr. J. L. Shilling were forced into the sea at an unknown point off Hawaii a week ago. Accordingly both announced to-day with profound regret that they are discontinuing the search. As the search ended Rear-Admiral H. Yarnall, who is in supreme command of all naval activities here, issued a statement to the press reciting the history of the search. He expressed the opinion that the sea would break •up a floating land aeroplane like Mr. Ulm's soon after it descended on the water. "The search was hampered by lack of information as to any definite position of the aeroplane at any time," the statement proceeded. "In view of all the circumstances it is with profound regret that the commandant considers further effort of no avail, and he has discontinued the search." The naval search was thereupon abandoned when the three. destroyers returned from their eastward cruise. The Army is keeping one amphibian machine.to patrol the coasts in a search for wreckage. "With hope for the rescue of the fliers gone the authorities now doubt that any clue will ever be picked up as to the locality of the descent. Commander J. S. Baylis has ordered the coastguard cutters Tiger and Reliance to return to Honolulu to-night from their westward search. The commander is taking the coastguard cutter Itasca to Kauai and will then come on to Honolulu to-morrow, thus ending the coastguard patrol, after having covered an area of 220,000 square miles in a north-westerly direction. GUARANTEE FOR FLIGHT AUSTRALIAN REASON EXPEDITING MAIL SERVICE CANT3ERRA, Dec. 11 Anxiety to speed up the inauguration of a Pacific air mail service, linking Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England, the reason why the Commonwealth Government granted Mr. C. T. P. Ulm £SOOO for his attempted flight, said the Minister of External Affairs, Sir George Pearce, when speaking in the Federal Senate. Stating that the Government would make the conditions of tlie guarantee available to Parliament, Sir George said it* had been intended to introduce a bill next year to ratify the agreement with Mr. Ulm. It had not been intended to keep it secret.