PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1913, Page 7

PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENTS

PRECAUTIONS FOR SECRECY. (BY TEIifieBAtH— SPECIAt TO THB POST.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The return of the Terra NWa caused a great surprise and some uneasy specu> lation last night. 15th March had been set down as the probable date of the vessel's reappearance on the assumption that Captain Scott and members of hi* sledging parties would be away from the main base at Sound when the Vessel reached the end of its journey in the Antarctic; but Would soon be at the headquarters again. It wad known that Captain Scott, if successful in reaching the Pole, intended to conduct extensive i sledging parties in the present summer. This, indeed, was part of the policy he had prepared to make the expedition aa highly scientific in character a-s possible 1 . For one thing he wished to discover ,the extent of the great ice barrier, and the exceptionally large staff of able scientists he took with him had special lines of investigation which they Wished to follow. In these circumstances there would have beeh no surprise if the return to New Zealand had been delayed until the end of March or the first week in. April. THE EXPEDITION'S AFFAIRS. Before setting out upon the present expedition, Captain Scott made arrangements for supplying the first news to the Central News Agency in London. He entered into a clear compact with that firm to carry this out. He found that it was necessary to take the Terra Nova to an out-of-the-way New Zealand port frtrni which the message to London could be sent without any information leaking out before the proper time on the first return on 2?th March. 1911. She put in at Paterson's Inlet, Stewart Island, one of the quietest seaports in the Dominion, On her next return on Ist April, 1912, she made Akaroa her port of call, ,and a long message sent by Captain Scott was telegraphed from, that place to London by a representative of the Central Newe Agency who had come from London to meet her. In putting in at Oamaru on the present voyage the Terra Nova may have followed the 6an\e instructions as sent her to Stewart Island and Ak&roa on pre« vious occasions. It is certain that a message has been sent from. Oamaru to London. Presumably it supplies the Central News the details of Captain Scott's work. " The only information available here last night in i»gard to the message was that in .compliance with Captain Scott's compact notfiing would be disclosed in New Zealand until it had twen-ty-four hours' start. In the absence 'of any reliable news the arrival at Oamant is explained in that way. This theory, however, does hot adcolint for the fact that the vessel has returned weeks before the due date. Those who tried to solve the mystery have not been helped by members of the expedition or by Mr. J. J. Kinsey, the New Zealand representative. Mr. Kinsey declined to attpply any information whatever. He would not even say if the vessel had reported "All Well" or if Captain Scott was on board,