H—37A

Subsequently Wall left for Cowern's Mill with Sergeant Carlyon, followed the first search party up the mill area and was there when Army and police party from Wanganui arrived. Sergeant Carlyon, he said gave him all the information about his own party and their intentions and told him his best method of obtaining information was to remain where he was alongside the military van, through which all messages would have to come. He said that the Sergeant advised him not to go up the mountain as all information from there would have to come to the van, and as he needed to be near telegraphic facilities nothing was to be gained by going up the mountain. Facilities for news would be available if he stayed by the van and that if I stayed in Cowern's Mill there would be no restriction on obtaining information as it came in. That was the impression he said he gained. Shortly after 4 o'clock he went to Karioi, where Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen was in charge. " Jacobsen," he says, " knew I was a pressman and told me we were not permitted on the field and no information could be given out, that it would come through the Publicity Section of the Prime Minister's Department. He did not say where instructions to exclude the press from the field came from. He said these were his orders, and ' I hope you understand the position, but I had to take my orders.' I took it that was explanation of the fact that on the previous day I had been on the flying-field with him for some considerable time and he had given me free information regarding the number of planes in use and where they were going." He said in the evening he retired to the police-station at Ohakune, where other press reporters had already arrived. When there, Auld took a call on the phone from Wellington. In "the course of the call there was reference by Auld to Prime Minister's Department and National Broadcasting Service. He says he heard only one reference to the Prime Minister's Department, but there was a double reference to the National Broadcasting Service, in which he took down a telephone number. He says that when Auld had taken the message he turned to those in the station and said, in effect, he was sorry he could not give information as it all had to go to Wellington. Wall was, of course, called by counsel representing the Journalists' Association, and from the evidence he gave in chief I "cannot find any information that he had that would justify the statement he sent by telegram on Friday night to the Press Association. He had been to Karioi on previous days, and on his own account was willingly given all the information about flights taking place from there. His evidence in chief related almost entirely to his experiences on the Friday—that is, the day he sent his Press Association message. In cross-examination he was closely examined as to where he got information that would justify the statements of his message. In reply he cited the conversation with Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen, which he had not referred to in his examination in chief. The following questions and answers are, I think, illuminating Q. Let us turn to the message, which is one of the earlier exhibits. The message, the first sentence, reads " A system of almost wartime secrecy " [Reads from Exhibit D] . . Department/' Who stated it was on instructions from Prime Minister's Department V A. Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen. Q. When did he state that ? A. When I called Karioi in afternoon. Would you read first part of message again ? [Counsel reads message again.] Q. Who stated it was on instructions from Prime Minister's Department ? A. It would be Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen. Q. Who was it ? A. lam not able to recollect with exactness wording used in various conversations. At time I sent message out it was carefully corrected and noted. Only person who had made reference during that day to Prime Minister's Department to me was Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen. Q. In answer to Mr. Leicester you said Flight Lieutenant Jacobsen did not say where instructions to exclude press from field came from. Is that correct ? ' A. No, my memory must have been at fault there. The original message is correct. In answer to Mr. Leicester's previous question my memory must have been at fault. Original message of Press Association entirely correct. If I may, I would amend my answer to Mr. Leicester in the light of the Press Association message.

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