GHASTLY ARCTIC RUMOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 9

GHASTLY ARCTIC RUMOUR

Mystery of Dead Professor CROWD HISSES ITALIA MEN Zappi Calls on Malmgren’s Mother (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (United Service) Received 10 a.m. COPENHAGEN, Sunday. THE arrival of General Nobile’s party was without incident, and the journey to Sweden was without demonstration, except that at Malmoe, where the crowd hissed, the police intervened. Commandant Zappi received permission to go to Stockholm., where, accompanied by the Italian ConsulGeneral, he visited Professor Malmgren’s mother, and handed over her son’s compass, as well as other articles left aboard the base-ship.

A London message says: Terrible charges continue to be made openly by Scandinavian newspapers in connection with the fate of the Swedish scientist. Professor Malmgren. It will be recalled that, in company with Commandants Zappi and Mariano, the professor left General Nobile’s party after the disaster to the airship Italia in the Arctic, to walk to the mainland in search of aid. When tile two Italians were rescued they reported that Malmgren was dead. Many British and French newspapers also hint that there is something mysterious about the professor’s death. The Oslo correspondent of the “Morning Post” says Captain Nilsson, pilot of the Swedish airplane Uppland, confirms the story that the two Italians only had Malmgren’s compass, and not his diary. All the members of the Swedish expedition were greatly surprised at their not having it, as it was certain that such an experienced man as Malmgren did not omit to keep a diary, which would have supplied valuable information about the illfated expedition. HALF-EATEN CORPSE? The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Herald” says it is absurd to beat about the bush any longer in the matter of the Italia disaster. The charge is openly made in the Scandinavian Press that Malmgren was killed and eaten by his two Italian companions; also, that the third man seen in a recumbent position by the Russian, airman, Captain Cbuknovsky,

from his airplane, was the half-eaten 1 corpse, which Zappi and Mariano got rid of before they were rescued. STORY QUESTIONED The Scandinavian papers also say ■ that the story of the professor having 1 died a month before the rescue was 1 a fabrication. If this were true, they 1 say, then the story of the two rescued 1 men could not be true. If, as everybody hopes, the story so widely circulated and so widely believed is also untrue, surely the Italians would welcome a full inquiry to bring out and establish the real facts. An earlier message from Stockholm said that General Nobile’s carriage had been uncoupled from the train and sent forward by another route. Only Professor Behoumek, the Czechoslovakian scientist, and his sister, left their berths. They wdre greeted by friends, including the professor’s fiancee. The Swedish rescuers were warmly welcomed by the Minister of Defence, M. Gustav Rosen, in the presence of cheering crowds. SILENCE SOUGHT A Warsaw message says the Polish newspaper “Kurjer Warsawski” mentions reports from Moscow which state that the Italian Minister there has re- ! quested the Soviet to forbid the airman, Captain Chuknovsky, and the members of the Russian rescue party,

on the ice-breaker Krassin, to give any interviews about General Mobile’s expedition. The Soviet has lot yet replied.