SECRECY ALLEGATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26917, 1 November 1948, Page 4

SECRECY ALLEGATIONS

Denial and Confirmation

MR NASH: No Orders Issued For Suppression p.A. WELLINGTON. Oct. 30. “ There has been no secrecy con-cerning-reports from the scene of the air disaster; as .is alleged in the Press Association message from Ohakune, said the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Nash, to-day. “No instruction that there should be any suppression was issued by me, by any officer of the Prime Minister’s Department, or by senior officers of the Police or. Air Departments. In particular. I tvish to point out that the publicity section of the Prime Ministers Department was not involved- in any way, and reference to it must be a figment of the imagination. The report is one which, published unchecked, deserves the fullest inquiry. ' ’ “ Far from there being any secrecy,” Mr Nash said, “the reverse was the case. The Air Department, because of inquiries from both the press and the public, established a small information section of its own at the control centre, and it worked effectively. It was created, of course, to take the task of handling that traffic off those directly concerned with the organisation and conduct of the search.” On the spot at Karioi, the forward base, the Air Department’s facilities for sending and receiving reports were provided under difficulty. Until the later provision of wireless equipment in a small van there was one 12-party telephone line only. At no time was any action taken to prevent a proper release of information, “Any reasonable person would understand that two particular points required care. First, there was the first report of the sighting of aircraft wreckage and there, was a necessary delay while a smaller aircraft was given the chance to confirm that reoort from closer range. Second, information concerning those on board the missing aircraft was, of course, urgently despatched to next-of-kin. Everyone will understand there were good reasons for that. I deeply regret the publication of this story without the alleged facts having been referred to the officials concerned. It is an unfortunate example of the harm that can be done by unchecked general statements, and it is a pity that no explanation at this stage can completely remove that