REPORTER THREATENED WITH ARREST

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1948, Page 7

REPORTER THREATENED WITH ARREST

WELLINGTON, Oct. 30. A climax to the extraordinary eil'arto being made by all seiyices, .aliegefjly on instruetioius from th'e Prinie ;M"u>ipter;'s Departmeut, to preyent reprgsem^atives! of the Press recqiying first hand-aml prompt in-fornial-ion .at . the scene; of tl.x • air disaster was reached tliis moru ing. The Hqi;opito a-rca ■•surrounding Lower 11 's mill was cordoned off by niilitary from Waiouru under the direction cf Colone] Pleasants. While the ueed for preventiug sighrseers h^mperhuig, Ithe-.w.ork in-jqxuiei.in) ( parent. the inclusioii of the Press in the bau was unexpected. Towards nudday. under instru.ctions ft'oin Wellington, the bau was later relaxed to permit Pres--

rejiresentative^, Wlien repotVdi^* eutered the niii. grounds, 1 0 \v I li (- lr tlf e"V 'Ti ti ( 1 an invitatwm from- the . oVcner • >today, theyv^'weie stopped, first by the " tniiitary-' and the./ by vvhat was bclieved to be a coastabhout of uuiform. The constable theii shepherded the journalists througb the mill grounds vvhere they remained t'uhalf an liour, but with the constable always witiiin a few feet, particularly when any approach was made to niili tary personnel and the militarv radio link betweeu the party on Ihe mountain and Wellington, and from which all in forniation being given over the broad

casling serviees is being olitained. When exaniining the mountaiu through glasses borrowed from Ariny men, an Army captain said, "1 think we will niake this truck out 0; bounds." Shortlv after a rnessag. began to come over from the mountain there was a shout from the wirelcs.van, " Kick those chaps out of this." A 111:111 dressed in civilian clothes and bclieved to be Constable O. Ruscov (Wanganui) then approached a reportc who was lying in the sun 011 a heap oi wood and said, ' ' You '11 have to buzz out of tliis.'.' The rejpot-'ter replied, this a secret sessiou^'" • / The constable: Yes, very secret. The Press Association representativc tlien said, "-Wliat is the positionlf " • The constable: The position is thai you get out of this. Press Association representative: Thiis private property. The constable: The property has been taken over by the militarv and the poiice and you '11 do as you are told Press Association representative; Wliat authority have you? The constable: This authority. I '],| throw you ofi' or put you under arrestPress Association representative: l just wanted to have the position quite clear.

The situaliou regarding the obtaining of inforniation has steadilv deterioratod since last night when .tiro poiice received a teiephone communication from Wellington in which they were given iilstructions regarding inforniation for the' Prinie Minister 's Department and Ihe Broudcasting Hervice. Kince tlien • u completely amateur volunteer radio service operating on handouts at Horopito Lo the Ohakune c/Mirljhouse has been placed "out of bounds ' ' to the Press, and all sourc.es of information have been closed. A11 example of wliat has occurred is that this morning right up to 1 o'ciock, Press representatiyes in the field were endeavouring to fiud out when the return of the pajrtv could be expected, ami finally got the information from 2YA Wellington, which received it from Horopito.