PUBLICITY FLIGHTS CONDEMNED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20783, 19 July 1937, Page 7

PUBLICITY FLIGHTS CONDEMNED

COST OF SEARCH FOR MISS EARHART HOPES OF RESCUE NOW ABANDONED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received July 18, 6.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 17. Representative Byron Scott, a member of the Naval Affairs Committee, has sent letters to the chiefs of the navy coastguard and Air and Commerce Bureau, demanding information on the cost of the search for Miss Amelia Earhart. He said he was preparing legislation to prevent the use of Federal facilities in a search for fliers lost on "publicity flights." Other representative- support Mr Scott, including Mr Ross Collins who said: It is time we decided that people wanting to undertake publicity stunts must do so at their own risk. One estimate of the cost so far is 3,500,000 dollars. NEWSPAPER CONJECTURE WHAT WASS MISS EARHART’S MISSION United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph -Copyright SAN FRANCISCO, July 16. “The San Francisco Chronicle'' learns unofficially that Miss Amelia Earhart was “engaged on high patriotic service, better undisclosed in detail,” recalling the rumours ihat Miss Earhart intended to become officially lost for the purpose of claiming islands in the Pacific. END OF LONG SEARCH NAVY'S THOROUGH COVERAGE United Press Asßorlatlcn—By Eler»rl» (Received July 18 7.30 p.m.) HONOLULU, July 17. The Navy announces that th: search for Miss Amelia Earhart and her pilot (Captain Noonan) would end probably to-morrow night. The Lexington's planes so far have covered 90,000 square miles. The aircraft carrier’s fuel is exhausted. Blistering heat anu rain squalls delayed the search yesterday which is now considered hopeless. Important Investigations Forty-two planes from the Lexington took up the survey of 28,000 square miles along either side of an interdate line to a point 220 miles north of the equator, to study equatorial winds and currents, leading to the closing phase . of the search to the north. The Naval Department has released the Itasca from the search for Miss Amelia Earhart and ordered the cutter to Honolulu. AMATEUR BLUNDERS REPORTS DISCREDITED BY NAVY Unit so Press Association—By Eia«*iri< Teleffranh rnnvr’ebf (Received July 18. 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK. July 16. The Navy Department has no information concerning Miss Earhart. It does not believe the rumour picked up in Auckland, New Zealand, that her aeroplane had been sighted by one of the Lexington’s machines. A Press Association message from Auckland stated that r. report that the aeroplane used by Miss Earhart and Mr F. J. Noonan had bee sighted by one of the seaplanes operating from the United States aircraft-carrier Lexington was contained in a private radio message received in Auckland last night. The Lexington, it is reported, had been making a final search near Howland Island, using forty-two seaplanes Owing to the great distance from which the message wa< picked up the information received was patchy and had to be pieced together, but the impression gained was that, as a “st despairing effort, the seaplanes were sent out over what was considered to be the most likely area, that flares were fired and that one of them received an answering flash. The position was immedately communicated to the mother ship.

Awaiting Daylight It was not possible to determine how far the seaplane was from the Lexington at the 'ime when this possible indication of he presence of the t flyers was received, but as the seaplanes have a very large cruising range it is possible that it may be some time before 'he ship can reach the position from which the answering flash was given. It may also happen that the seaplanes which remained in the nelghbournood will have to await daylight to find out if both the flyers are still alive and uninjured. Some time after tne first indicat.on of the success of the search was picked up a further radio message which seemed to point to its authenticity was intercepted. Probable Explanation It is now explained that the rumours were based on an assertion by an Auckland amateur that he heard from the Lexington a report that it sighted Miss Earhart. The ipinlon is expressed that this was probably due to the amateur missing the word “if" in the conversation of the plane to Lexington. The Lexington planned to end the search to-morrow due to the fuel being exhausted. LOOK-OUT KEPT BY ACHILLES DEFENCE MINISTER’S STATEMENT By THegrpnh Pre.. Association WELLINGTON. July 17. The Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) referring to a cabled report that the New Zealand Government had

offered to assist m the search for Miss Earhart’s aeroplane, states that H V.S. Achilles, which is now making its island cruise, has reached Honolulu, and in accordance with a general request issued to shipping in the Pacific, had kept a careful look-out during the voyage. The Minister is not aware of the source of the information on which the Auckland report relating to signals has been based, and the Post and Telegraph Department has no confirmation of these messages. He is inquiring Into this matter because it would appear that some messages picked up from the air by a licensed radio listener have been published in contravention of the conditions of receiving licenses. To show the danger of publishing unconfirmed reports of this nature, Mr Jones mentioned what occurred earlier in the search when a message alleged to be from the missing machine, was later proved to be a dramatisation of search efforts by what is believed to have been a Continental broadcasting station.