MISS AMY JOHNSON REACHES BERLIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19269, 5 January 1931, Page 3

MISS AMY JOHNSON REACHES BERLIN.

IS NOT ENGAGED ON ANY SECRET MISSION. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, January 3. It is authoritatively denied that Amy Johnson is on an official mission. Amy herself was nonplussed when the direct question was put to her at Liege. She said: “ I am doing the flight absolutely on my own and in nowise is it an offii cial or secret mission.” The mystery of Miss Johnson’s Government work, which was mentioned during a motoring case, has been cleared up It appears that she left her car unattended while she had a chat with the Secretary of the Empire Marketing Board about trade prospects in Australia The defence pleaded that she was detained by a Government official with whom she was engaged on Government business. The case was dismissed. Her Health All Right. Replying to comments regarding her state of health for the flight to Pekin her father discloses that she passed with flyng colours the examination for a commercal license, the hardest test an aviator can undergo, necessitating certification by six doctors. Messages from Cologne reveal that during her terrible flight from Liege, the weather was so bad that even the Luft Hausa air liner turned back. The British National Anthem and cheers greeted Amy Johnson on her arrival at Berlin after nightfall. She explained that bad weather drifted her from her course, necessitating a descent at Luebz owing to the loss of her bearings. A cottager, in whose field she alighted, though startled, gave her every assistance. She followed the railway line to Berlin. Flight Across Siberia. The Aviation Chemical Society at Moscow is fully facilitating her flight to Smolensk. Steps are being taken to ensure a safe landing. Experts will advise her at all points and heating apparatus will be installed in the aeroplane if necessary. The British United Press correspondent at Moscow says that M. Kirilov, the Soviet air chief, describes the flight as reckless and thoughtless and intends telling Miss Johnson of the tremendous difficulties ahead and the need for special heating apparatus to prevent the engine from freezing. He says that landing on skis is particularly dangerous. On the contrary, General Nobile’s rescuer, M. Chuklinovsky, is of the opinion that the flight across Siberia is not particularly dangerous, except on the Eastern wastes, where jagged ice may be met with.