SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHT.

Shannon News, 7 May 1929, Page 4

SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHT.

GUARDIAN SAYS IT WAS A FIASCO.

Although the press of Australia and New Zealand has almost as a body, confined itself to reports without commentary upon the search for, and discovthe Southern Cross, amidst the eulogistic chorus, another stop has been pulled out by the Sydney Daily Guardian, one of the newspapers founded by Sir Joynton Smith and controlled by Smith's Newspapers, Ltd. The Guardian, while publishing identical reports with those to be found in othei' papers of the Commonwealth and Dominion, apparently viewed the flight, .not as a news reporter, but as a critic, arid introduced into its reports of the finding of the Southern Cross, a spice or indirect and direct comment. Al lcgedly, this comment constituted a reflection upon the co-eommanders, iungsford Smith and Dim, for following the publication- of the report, they immediately filed a suit for £20,000 damages against the Guardian. If this case is ever heard it will arouse as groat interest as did the flight itself, constituting a "cause celebre" and a news story of the first magnitude. In its issue of April 30, "the Chronicle published a review of the Guardian article which commenced this sensational development to Smith and Ulm's venture.

Following this has come to hand a copy of the Guardian of April 22, which makes very plain the attitude of that paper towards the Southern Cross flight. On its front page, this issue featurcvs the story of the discovery of the stranded " Kookaburra by Pilot Brain in the Q. A. N. T. A. S. 'plane Atlanta,'and with its tragic news of the death of the two searchers, Keith Anderson and Hitcii cock. Deploring the sacrifice of the lives of two brave men, the Guardian pertinently inquires why the original search ever became necessary, and publishes in the same issue, a critical comment upon the Southern Cross flight alleging a "chain of imperfections" in the arrangements of the co-commffnders, and demanding a government inquiry into the conduct of the flight, which indirectly brought about the Kookaburra tragedy.

Later messages have revealed that the stone set rolling by the Guardian has gathered others in its track, and Mr Stanley Bruce has appointed the commission of inquiry which the Sydnev paper held to be necessary. In the issue which has come to hand, the Guardian headed its demand, "Inquiry -into Tragedy is Bruce's Imperative • Dutv,'' and followed it with the sub-title," '' Sequel of Horror has now arisen from Southern Cross Fiasco.'' Points for Consideration. Then five points are submitted which the Guardian claims render a government inquiry imperative in the interests of the Australian public. These points were chiefly made from verbatim quotations from the co-command-ers, and summarised were to-the effect that the Southern Cross left on its journey with bad maps, bad.food, bad tools, bad wireless and into the face of bad weather.

The first point presented is an allegation that the Southern Cross went on its flight without adequate maps of North-West Australia.

Supporting this allegation, the Guardian quotes a message from Kingsford Smith to the Sydney Sun in which he states that their charts did not show the Port George mission. The Guardian contends that a map with this omission was inadequate for the flight undertaken by the Southern Cross, and states that In its office in Phillips street, Sydney, it has had for some time a map on which the location of the mission was marked. Also, the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun had both published maps in which the position of Port George mission was shown. The second point raided is the call for explanation of the Southern Cross leaving in the face of unfavourable weather conditions. Question of Tools. The third allegation, supported by quotations from Ulm's diary, is to the effect that the 'plane did not carry a proper kit of tools and that no provision had been made for emergency. It will be remembered that in his diary, (Jim spoke of the use of a screw-driver and a rock in an endeavour to "cut down a tree, while on April 5, he wrote, 'our only tools are two screwdrivers and rocks for hammers." The Guardian pertinently inquires why a hack-saw, a hammer and a tomahawk, at least were not carried. Rations.

The next allegation concerns the rations aboard the Southern Cross and i•-. this connection the Guardian quotes' the comment of the London Times —"A few sandwiches and a fortuitous supply of gruel were hardly sufficient for such a flight." Concurring in this opinion, the Guardian says: "Everybody in the world will agree with that comment, which delines another need for strict inquiry."

Radio. The fifth point demanding consideration; according to the Guardian, is the condition of the Southern Cross radio equipment and the supposedly inadequate provision for its.repair. In this connection the paper says:—"Five minutes of active radio despatch after the landing, if it had been possible, would ha*ve saved the crew's 12 days of starvation, the upheaval of public excitement, and the tragedy . . . ." Cost to Public. Having raised these points, the Guardian terms the Southern Cross flight a fiasco and stresses the results which have followed in its train. Summarised by the paper they are:— 1. —Expense to the public, who subscribed over £6,000 for the search. 2. —Cost to the Australian govern-

ment, of £IO,OOO (now £20,000) or more, to join in the searches. 3. —Dislocation of all ordinary _ civil aviation services in West Australia.

4__Daily r; '; of men's lives in partly unsuitable planes, which search in dangerous country. s.—Continued- fears that death in rhe wilderness may have overtaken Anderson and Hitchcock, and the final horror announced by Qantas. This last tragic result, as the world knows, has now been made plain by the finding of Hitchcock, dead from tl-irst beside the Kookaburra, and Keith Anderson's body lying 400 yards away, where the pilot fell in a final despairing search for water. And tho Results?

Finally, the Guardian asks the public t'j consider the results of the flight, which were absolutely nil. On the contrary the paper states that: "Any clay, in their ordinary work, the West Australian and Queensland airways are conducting flights of more practical significance." The article concludes with the allegation that the on-y parties benefitting from the flight with its terrible cost, are the metropolitan dailies which interested themselves financially in the \enture and which have consequently largely increased their sales through holding the copyright of Southern Cross news.