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Chronicle (Levin), 19 January 1949, Page 5

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Press Assoeiation)

Inaccurate Reports About Kaka's Crash

(Per

WELLINGTON, Jan. 19. The contention that inaccuracies which appeared'- in certain Press reports of the recovery operations ' following the crash of the airliner Kaka on Mount Ruapehu would have been avoided had reporters been permitted to carry out their inquiries unhampered, was advanced by a wit'ness today when the commission investigating the alleged obstruction of the Press re- ; sumed its heari'ng. Ian Alexander McCrone, reporter on the Southern Cross, Wellington,; said that on Tuesday, October 26, he went to Air Search Headquarters with the intentian of writing -a special article- on the conduct of the operations. He was not allowed into tlqe search room and was told uy an ofticer of the Givil Aviation branch that that njorning Mr. Nash and Mr. Jones had visited the centre and had forbidden any unauchorised persons to enter. He was not able to write his special article. Barred From Scene On the Friday the aircraft was discovered, continued witness, he went to .Ohakune, arriving about 3.30 a.m. on Saturday morning. His intention was to go to the scene of the crash and he was one of the best equipped reporters, having :hree days' food, a sleeping bag and waterproof clothing. When he arrived at the Plateau camp he immediately reported -to oenior-Sergeant, Taylor, said witness, and said that he wanted to go to the scene of the crash. denior Sergeant Taylor told him that he could not let him go, and said to another reporter and hirriself that they must have annoyed somebody at Air Department, 'as instructions had come through to them that no reporters were to go to the scene. His main intention was to get to the scene, said witness, otnerwise he would not have' gone up to the area at all. He had not antieipated that he would have trouble. Heated Criticism' McCrone said that he^met WingCommander R. C. Kean, Inspector of Aircraft Accidents, when he returned to the Plateau and asked him if he had any information for the Press. Wing-Commander Kean said that he had no information and in very heated .. words criticised the way the Press of New Zeaiand had handled the; crash stories that week. Ma w. E. Leieester, for th'e New Zeaiand Journalists' Assoeiation: What was his corbplaint? Witness: He said that inaccurate -statements had been printed about the reported- si#itings of the air^ craft and also criticised the use of what he called 1 banner headings, He likened the crash to a fatal automobile accident, which was reported one day and forgotten. the next. When asked about the time of the crash, continued witness, Wing-Commander Kean said that Senior Sergeant Taylor- gave him a general review of the recovery operations before- he left the Plateau and told him that all the bodies. had been recovered. In actual fact the body of Mr. Munford was not recovered. Witness contended that if he had gone to the scene of the crash, that mistake would not have occurred. He was very disappointed at not having the opportunity to write his own story. One or two minor inaccuracies were in his report because he had to rely on second-hand information, said witness. He cont.ended that had he been permitted to gather his own news, that would 'not have occurred. Was Really Hampered To Mr. T. P. Cleary, for the Crown, witness said that he personally was not- interfered with when interviewipg returning stretcher-bearers, but when he heard of incidents which had occurred he had to conduct his inquiries in an underhand way, and was really hampered. As he was •his paper's sole representative, he could- -not /afford to get liimself arrested. Questioned -by "Mr. Cleary concerning his meeting with WingCommander Kean, McCrone said that Kean's complaint was just an allegation , that the Press had printed inaccurate sighting reports. "There are actually more people kicked to death by donkeys |in_ the United States each year than die in flying accidents," was cne of Kean's remarks, said witness. He took that to be his interpretation of the importance of •the story. To the' chairman, Sir Harold Johnston, .McCrone said that he "wanted the -exact time of the crash and the_ state of*- the wreckage, which Sir Harold said might "disgust" the public. Those "were matters of deep public .interest, witness replied. Throw-out Threat Edmund Wall, proprietor of the Central District Press, Raetihi, and representative of the New Zeaiand Press Assoeiation, said he had obtained permission from Mr. Cowern fo be on his property and use his telephone, but Constable Ruscoe liad said it was taken over by the police ' and military. Witness said he asked the constable for his lauthority and the constable repjied ;that the authority was that he would throw ^witness out or place him under arrest. „ l To Mr. Cleary witness said that it was Flight-Lieutenant Jaeobsen, at Karioi, who informed him that the Prime Minister's Department

had issued instructions which led to what he described in tne Presb Assoeiation message as "a system of almost war- time secrecy." Wha. he reeorded in the Press - Assoeiation messages he sent out at.the time, was carefully checked and was correct. Tnere was evidence of almost wartime censorship and •service regulations were being applied. • Lesiie Cleveland, reporter on the Evening Post, said that he had been associated with the Canterbury Mountaineering Club for ten years and' held an amateur radio operators licence. Ori Saturday morning at Ohakune there was a very definite change. in the helpful attitude of the day before of Cohstables Auld and Phillips. Witness thought ^he Press could have -beon jssued with passes at Cow•ern's Mill instead of their having to: return 22 miles to Ohakune. Witness endorsed the evidence given by Edmund Wall of the. threatened arrest incident at Horo-" pito. :- Resented Suggestion Witriess thought that the new§papers in New Zeaiand exercised "most commendable discretion" in handling the news. He resented the suggestion that reporters" "ifad been abusive. He considered that he and Wall were "considerably obstructed." , To Mr. Cleary, witness said he was not seeking gruesome details. He did not elaim that he was entitled to messages from the military vah, but thought they could "very reasonably" have been given them. He denied Constable Ruscde's evidence that Ruscoe had ordered him ofE the van, twice. Witness' agreed that at times he could be of a somewhat assertive or dogmatic type. The1 hearing is proceeding.