Western Mail from Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales • 1

Rrabes -for the intelligent Tuesday, January 12, 1954. No. 26,343. U(ji At trrn Twopenee. drinker- THE NATIONAL DAILY OF WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE.

BOAC Comet CARTOON suspend their service preserve plane's By PETER BLOXHAM RITISH Overseas Airways Corporation took a 200,000 decision last night and temporarily suspended their new seven-strong Comet fleet for "minute and unhurried technical examination." The Chairman, Sir Miles Thomas, told me take about two weeks. It will set us back more than a week. rio statement, hard on the heels of Sunday's rash off Elba, in which 29 passengers and the crew at his home, "It will On the return trip they will carry only mail and relieved crews from other aircraft. Last night last-minute arrange.J ments were being made for the transfer of passengers already booked to other aircraft. died, said measure of prudence our 11:,, Comet passenger services L.

suspended a minute and unhurried examination of every in our Comet fleet to be led out at our maintenance at London Airport. Ells examination will be con-' in closest collaboration the De Havilland aircraft engine companies (makers of 1-e Comet aircraft and. the Ghost engine). and with the Air Regis-I Board. The Minister of Transport and Aviation has been consulted, irld concurs with this decision of 1..

corporation. Not "grounded" No Comet passenger service operate after midnight G.M.T. Notification of the resJrnption of services will be publisned by the corporation." Sir Allies made it clear that this tenvorary suspension of services is not an official "grounding." The best analogy." he told me. is to compare it with putting a into dry dock for inspection and overhaul. At our maintenance head- Quarters we can inspect unhurriedly the whole fleet.

in collaboration with De Havillands. "We want to strip off the various bearings that normally cover vital parts. and examine what is inside. It is very much like what happens with a ship. We shall not have the revenue that the Comets are earning while this happens.

and all the fuel and oil, which are not a very great will continue. Comets already abroad will return empty to London Airport. The Comet can carry 36 passengers and is powered by turbojets. A more powerful type, with Rolls-Royce Avon jet engines. is now in production.

The original De Havilland Comet airliner is now undergoing tests to destruction at the Royal Aircraft Establishment. Farnborough. French carry on Last night the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation informed the Canadian and French Governments of the 8.0.A.C. announcement, but an Air France spokesman in London said, We have not grounded our Comets and have no intention of doing so." 7- This was the victorious "Victor-George" that smashed one Regular routes record after another In Europe. Asia and Africa.

8.0.A.C. officials were saying last night that Sir Miles Thomas had decided to devote himself almost exclusively to probing the Comet's mishap, in conjunction with Sir Geoffrey de Havilland and other authorities, in a desire to retain the aircraft's good name at all costs. 8.0.A.C. Comets have been flying regularly between the United Kingdom and Johannesburg, Tokyo, Singapore and Colombo. Of the 21 Comet 1 and IA airliners built, three are operated by the French U.A.T.

Company. three by Air France and two belonging to the Royal Canadian Air Force. He spent yesterday in top-level discussions an conferences. Arriving early at the Corporation's headquarters, he immediately telephoned Rome to get the latest news of the search for survivors. Past Comet crashes resulting In deaths were on May 2.

1953. when 43 were killed in a crash in a thunderstorm near Calcutta. and on March 3. 1953. when all 11 on board were killed when the Canadian Pacific Comet Empress of Hawaii crashed on take-of! at Karachi Airport.

Relief planes "We rhall try to cover the regular Comet services by our other ant Constellations. It really means putting on the summer schedules a bit earlier with the pistondriven type. "It is purely a precautionary we state, a measure of prudence." 8.0.A.C. have been using Comets since May 1952. and so far they have flown about 25.000 hours and carried 50.000 passengers.

Comets of all airlines are now fling about 180.000 route miles a week and have so far flown 12.000.000 miles in 30.000 hours. Mr. Antony Head. Minjster of War. was due to leave London by Comet for Entebbe this morning His flight, which was being taken so that he could investigate conditions in Kenya following the court-martial of Capt.

Griffiths. has been postponed. A War Office spokesman said of his changed plans would be announced later. 1 A 8.0.A.0 spokesman said. "For most passengers it will merely mean a rather longer rnev.

but they'll get there just same" Three abroad The 8.0.A.C. decision took effect a few minutes after the last Comet to leave London on Sunday touched down in Singapore at about 11.30 last night. The other, which left London on Sunday. belonging to South African Airways, has arrived in Johannesburg. Altogether there are three 8.0.A.C.

Comets out of Britain. The third is in Tokyo. Chiefs confer Then, at a conference he called at London Airport. he met Sir Victor Tait. 8.0.A.C.

Operaticns Director. Mr. B. E. Bishop.

De Havilland's Comet designer. Cart. M. J. R.

Alderson. manager of the O.A.C. Comet fleet, and Capt. G. S.

Brown, head of the Corpora. tion's accident investigation branch. Also there were Capt. J. Johnson.

pilot of the 8.0.A.C. Argonaut which took off from Rome just before the ill-fated Comet. and Mr. IL E. Hardingham, chief executive of the Air Registration Board.

I After a hurried lunch, he went on to meet the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd and other officials. Team investigating explosion theory ATHEORY that an explosion occurred aboard the crashed Comet will be considered by 8.0.A.C.'s accident invesli- gation team. If. as eye witnesses suggest.

there was an explosion while the aeroplane was at a great height, then the sudden reduction in pressure inside the aeroplane may have produced changes in the bodies which would still be discoverable on medical examination. board the Comet, issued by 8.0.A.C. in London yesterday. included the names of six children. The name of a girl of 17 was among the adults.

Three of the passengers were 8.0.A.C. staff, six were relatives of 8.0.A.C. staff, and one was a B.E.A. captain. The list was Johnd at Singapore Mr.

J. P. Hill (8.0.A.C. staff), of Singapore. and Mr.

J. Steel, of George Wimpey and London. Joined at Bangkok: Mr. F. J.

Greenhouse, of Horley. Surrey Master R. Sawyer-Snelling, aged 14. son of 8.0.A.C. staff, of Bangkok Capt.

R. V. Wolfson (8.0.A.0 staff), of Bishop's Stortford. Herts. Joined at Rangoon: Mr.

Chester Wilmot. of Aylesbury. Joined at Karachi: Mrs. Dorothy Baker, of Wilmette Illinois. United States, and Mr.

H. E. Schuchmann (American), of MacMillan Co. of New York. Joined at Bahrein: Mr.

Bernard Butler. of Blidworth Mess N. Khedouri (15), and Miss R. Khedouri (13), of Bahrein; Mr. J.

Bunyon, Mrs. A. Bunyon and child, Bunyon, of Stirling; Mr. J. Crilly (8.0.A.C.

staff), and child. 'Brenda Crilly, of Bahrein; and Miss L. Yateen (17); of Bahrein. Joined at Beirut: Mrs. R.

E. Geldard, wife of 8.0.A.C. staff. Miss G. Geldard and Master M.

Geldard. of Beirut; Mr. S. Naamin. of Damascus; Mrs.

E. S. MacLachlan. wife of 8.0.A.C. staff, of Cairo, and Mr.

J. Y. Ramsden, of Shell Petroleum Company, Beirut. Joined at Rome: Capt. C.

A. Livingstone (B.E.A. captain). of IStirling. 8.0.A.C.

state that in the cases of five other passengers the home addresses are not known or it has not yet been possible to contact the next-of-kin. These were A. Crisp, Miss E. Fairbrother. passenger Israel, Mr.

D. Leaver and Mr. T. S. H.

Moore. The sex of Crisp and Israel is not known. Three of family List of passengers The normal operating height of a Comet is 38.000 to 40.000 and by the time of the accident the machine should have been over 30.000 ft on its way to normal height. A list of 29 passengers on Mr. J.

Steel had worked as a ganger in Borneo for George Wimpey and Co. Limited. civil engineers and building contractors, since 1949. He was on his way back to this country for medical reasons. He leaves two children.

a girl of 11 and a boy of 8. Mr. Bernard Butler was returning to his home in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire to he married. His fiancee. Miss Patricia Knight.

of Blidworth. travelled to London Airport to meet him on Saturday. The crash claimed a family of three-3-year-old James Bunyan, 'of Lower r'olmaise. Stirling, his 22-year-old wife. and their ninemonths-old baby girl.

Allpson. This should have been their last trip back to Britain from the Bahrein Islands. where Mr. Bunvan was employed as charge hand with the United Overseas Petroleum Company. He was due to go to America for further training before taking up a new post in the Philippines.

Capt. Charles A. Livingstone Stirling. a B.E.A. pilot, was awarded the D.S as a R.A.F.

flight-sergeant in 1942. Capt. V. Wolfson was general manager of the subsidiary airlines of 8.0.A.C. Mrs.

Ruth Geldard. who was killed with her two cihldren. C'rol (aged 101 and Michael (aged five). was the wife of Mr. Ronald Geldard, 8.0.A.C.

aviation manager at Karnak. 1 Guerilla campaign may have misfired By STANLEY JONES Our London Industrial Correspondent THREE of the electricians employed at the R.A.F. Station, Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, and 20 at the Carmarthen Bay power station site, Burry I'ort, were among those who joined in yesterday's first guerilla strike announced by the Electrical Trades Union in support of Its wage claim. The Queen It was 'stated that the working at the R.A.F. station was not affected in any way.

A representative of contrac- to open tors at Carmarthen Bay Power Station said that the men were employed on the lighting system parliament of the site Production was not affected. Slight effect Fewer than 100 electricians throughout the country were involved in yesterday's strikes. The total effect was slight, and employers decided last night not Ito impose counter-measures they had contemplated. There were no strikes in Scotland. The guerilla campaign began not so much with a national bang as a local whimper.

At 'Scunthorpe (Lincs.) 280 reluctantl guerillas left E.T.U. President, Mr. Frank Foulkes, to share employers' doubts whether they will obey his order to strike in two waves to-day and to-morrow. in N.Z. He gave the order after a vote on strike action which he described as "even," but which dissentients said was "against." Reluctant too were 200 men at Aldermaston (Berks.) atom plant who declared themselves against token strikes but nevertheless undertook to strike if their leaders called on them to do so.

In London the employers' leader, Mr. C. Penwill summed up the day with a statement referring to the "extreme reluctance" of a large number of operatives to take strike action. WELLINGTON. Tuesday.

THE Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh drive in State from Government House here today for the opening of a special session of the New Zealand Parliament. At the formal session, the first to be opened by a reigning Sovereign, the Queen will deliver a speech from the Throne. Her husband will occupy a Chair of State. Later in the day the Queen will attend a reception for Members of Parliament and their wives at Parliament House. In the evening she will hold an investiture at the Town-hall.

The Royal couple last night visited the Ford Assembly Works at Petone, just north of Wellington. The works manager. Mr. B. F.

Jamieson, told them there were many "new" New Zealanders among the 600 staff. The Queen and her husband showed keen interest in the assembly of cars for the Dominion from materials shipped in crates from Britain. Silent leaders The National Federated Electrical Association is anxious to assure operatives employed by its members that it is not their desire to exact penalties from them where it is clear in many instances that the strike action has been taken to-day only because the E.TjU. has threatened fines suspension if their instruction is not obeyed." said Mr Penwill. Leaders of the E.T.U.

kept silent on the question of whether yesterday's events were early ranging early misfires. you can't hide the attractions of a holiday in SaINA qt4as Commit your Travel Agent or write for A TO erature and information. This is at your service for free, friendly and noncommercial advice on holidays in South Africa. SOUTH AFRICAN TOURIST CORPORATION 70 PICCADILLY, LONDON, W.I LEPHONE: GROSVENOR 6 23S Fifth AMNIA New York. 17 name' AND SOUTH WALES NEWS A KEMSLEY NEWSPAPER.

CURRENT TOPIC IV'S WEATHER Anse dry with bright intervals; lora' morning fog: light winds, becoming south; temperature. Areas 0, cloudy, but some ta'r periods; local rhotrem: moderate west becoming or south; mild. Ames A. occasional roils or showers; west or south winds; mild. CARDIFF METEOROLOGICAL READINGS For the 24 hour.

ended nine a.m.. Monday January 11, 2954: Barometric nrersure 30.054 in, Maximum temperat ire 47 deg. Minimum temperature 42 deg. etinghine ISuurlayl Rainlall From obrerratiord at the Meteor.logiral Station Penylan. Cardiff.

The lestremeots approxi. 200 ft. above its level. Sun Ow (London) 4.2 a.m., aab 4.14 p.m. 10mos Nees 10.47 a.m.; or, 2.21 a.m.

tO-merrer. LIGHT (CARDIFF) 4.58 The Duke's interest The highlight of the tour yesterday was the Queen's speech at a State luncheon at Parliament House. when she proclaimed her faith in the British Commonwealth as a great force for good in these times. In proposing the Queen's health the Prime Minister, Mr. Sidney Holland, said the greatest days of the Commonwealth lie ahead.

The present Rood of loyalty had never been surpassed. Of the Duke of Edinburgh, he said, "I have been amazed at his insatiable appetite for information. In simple New Zealand language, we like him." Warm tributes to the Royal visitors were also voiced by Mr. Walter Nash, Leader of the Trail of blood led to charge Patrick Kenny, aged 24, of Emma-street, Swansea, was committed for trial at the Glamorgan Quarter Sessions by Swansea magistrates yesterday on a charge of office breaking with intent to steal. Kenny, was alleged to have made a statement saying he forced an entry into an office in Collegestreet.

Swansea, and severely cut his right wrist when attempting to leave the premises. Police-constable R. J. Norwood. said that after noticing large quantities of blood in the office.

blood trails on the roof of the building and in the road he saw Kenny in Swansea hospital. Kenny denied the charge. ELECTRIC BLANKET INQUEST WARNING A WARNING about the I necessity for switching off an electric blanket before getting Into bed was given by an electrical engineer at the inquest at Coventry yesterday on Mrs. Irene Ann Cleydon, aged of Old Farm, Broadlane, Coventry, wife of Mr. Percy Cleydon, welfare manager of a motor company.

A verdict of "Accidental death" was recorded. Dr. G. V. Doyle said that Mrs.

Cleydon died instantaneously from heart failure caused by an electric shock. Burns on her body, caused by the full-sized electric blanket in her bed catching fire, occurred after death. Mr. L. J.

C. Carter, the electrical engineer, of Coleshill, near Birmingham, said that it was dangerous to sleep with an electric blanket switched on. GIRL, AGED 17, DIED FROM ALCOHOLIC POISONING A 17 -YEAR-OLD girl collapsed after visiting the Kensington. Liverpool, flat of )3- year-old Maurice Lloyd, on Christmas Eve, died from acute alcoholic poisoning, it was stated lat a Liverpool inquest yesterday. The coroner (Mr.

J. A. Blackwood) recorded a verdict of "misladventure" on June Pickett, a ILiverpool clerk. She was wearing 'an evening dress when she collapsed in a street outside Lloyd's flat and radio shop. In a statement read by the coroner.

Mr. Lloyd said they had arranged to go to a Christmas Eve dinner dance. She arrived at his shop at abilit 7.30. They were intimate and she said she did not intend going out without first having a drink. He poured out two small drinks from a full half-bottle of rum.

June said, "Oh, that's not enough' and made a grab for the bottle. He went out for cigarettes and returned to find the half-bottle ui rum was nearly empty. Warned her She poured more drinks from another bottle, and he warned her to be careful as she showed signs of being drunk. They went out to wait for a taxi. and June started dancing and singing, and suddenly flopped to the pavement.

He later dragged her to his bedroom upstairs, put her on the bed, and covered her up. About half-an-hour later he decided to try to wake her because her breathing had gone silent. He decided to call an ambulance. He said he was separated from his wife for about 22 years. and he lived alone in a combined shop and house.

Dr. C. A. Hill, Home Office pathologist, said death was from acute alcohol poisoning. The girl was not pregnant.

Mr. Thomas William Pickett, a corporation games attendant, said his daughter had been coming home late from dances. He could see she had been drinking, but she was a good girl. Mr. J.

Latin (on behalf of Mr. Lloyd) said Mr. Lloyd had a deep respect and affection for the girl. Pole to die The appeal of Wilhelm Lubina. aged 42, a Polish miner, against 1a sentence of death at Leeds Assizes for murdering Mrs.

Charlotte Ball at Barnsley, was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday. CHILD DIED AMR 16 DAYS OF "MERCILESS" THRASHINGS COUPLE who. it was stated, thrashed their three-and-a-halt-year-old daughter, Jackie. so mercilessly in their home at Lilac Bank. Methil, Fife.

over a period of 16 days that she eventually died, admitted a charge of culpable homicide at Pt.rth Sheriff Court yesterday and were sent to the High Court for sentence. In the dock were Kenneth and Margaret Medlam, both aged about 30, who agreed that they had repeatedly struck the child on the head, body and limbs with their hands. belts and other instruments. she became so tired that she could not hit her any more. Then the father took over.

Afterwards they tried to forcibly feed the child. who succumbed to the assault. Mr W. S. Day.

solicitor. said the woman had an 11-year-old daughter by a previous marriage By her present husband she had a family of six, two older than Jackie. and three younger, the 'youngest being only 18 days. The father was a quiet man. wrapped up in the family.

He had gone back to England--he was from the Birmingham he had had difficulties with his Mr. W. R. D. Macmillan, for the prosecution.

said the couple were not of high intelligence, while the thild was backward and difficult to train. They tried to teach her in the normal way, but. when failed they resorted to thrashings. Photographs of the injuries the most horrible he had ever seen. wife.

An inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children had found the home well kt.pt and tidy, and the children well-nourished. Jackie had developed dirty habits which could not be cured and was dour. refusing to play with the other children. The patents tried kindness and when The final assault began with thel that failed to change her habit: mother thrashing the child until they started thrashing her. 4TH EDITION Mr.

Eden hopes for compromise spirit at Berlin talks A appeal for a spirit of compromise on both sides at the forthcoming Four Power Foreign Ministers' conference in Berlin was made by Mr. Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary, in his broadcast talk on foreign affairs last night. It will he worth spooling any amount of time if a genuine compromise call be reached," he said. He hoped the Russians would find it possible to meet the Western Powers on the question of free elections throughout Germany. "It may he said, "that the Will ask us what assurances th 2y can have so that a reunited Germany will not one day fall back into aggressive habits arid threaten Russian security Tha' would be a reasonable request even for a country as vast ana powerful as the Soviet Union." The Russians already had some far-reaching guarantees for their security.

Viscount Simon By J. C. WALKER Apprehensions "But, if in spite of all these guarantees the Russians still feel apprehensive about their security we are quite prepared to examine ways, new ways. of removing their fears." Mr. Eden went on.

"We can't tell whether the Russians will meet us at Berlin in the same constructive spirit hope they will. This, at least, is and our allies will all we can to encourage a positive approach on both sides." Mr. Eden said. "In Korea we have to go on working for a political conference as ssas provided for in the armistice. I remain convinced that this is the only way to bring about a Korean peace.

"But the question which must be uppermost in your minds is that of our relations with Societ Russia. Shall we witness in 1654 a real relaxation of tension between East and West? Are we heading for a period of growing confidence and real peace? Or must we expect to live through more years of tension with all their burdens, leading perhaps eventually to the final horror of an atomic war? Any real chance "The answers can only be unfolded in the course of conversations between East and Mr. Eden added. "No man living, certainly no Foreun Secretary of this country, would ignore any real chance of getting a German settlement. But we must not be blind to the and difficulties we face, and we must not expect too much.

And let me make one thing clear. We cannot jettison our own security any more than ask the Russians to jettison theirs We cannot abandon our defensive arrangements as a condition of agreement Atomic energy President Eisenhower's proposal on atomic energy, said Mr. Eden, was a real effort to bring an entirely new approach to bear on th: problem It is. of course, easy to talk about banning atomic weapons and disarming all round. We hope we shall come to that.

In the meantime any move is well worth making which seeks to direct this terrifying new atomic force to the peaceful benefit humanity." DEATH OF VISCOUNT SIMON VISCOUNT SIMON. the 80-year. old statesman. died yesterday in Wes i nster ospital. ter London.

A former Lord Chancellor. he became ill during the Christmas period and was admitted to the hospital for examination. On Sunday morning it was reported that his condition was quite so satisfactory" and that he was a little weaker than on Saturday. A bulletin on Sunday evening described his condition as "Riving some cause for anxiety: he is not so well." i Desnte his age he was active in the House of Lords up to the rising of Parliament for the Christmas recess. On December 17 he spoke on the negotiations with Egypt, and on the previous day he initiated a debate on the Royal Commission on capital punishment An appreciation by the Right Hon.

L. S. Amery and a biography appears on Page 2. Lyttelton meets Rhodesian leaders LUSAKA (Northern Rhodesia). Monday, The Colonial Secretary.

Mr. Oliver Lyttelton, met European elected members of the Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council today and discussed constitutional changes for the territory. About two-thirds of the agenda was; dealt with and the Colonial Secretary agreed to hold another meeting on Wednesday. Army chiefs study cadet suicide report The report of an Army court of inquiry into the suicide of an officer-cadet at Eaton Hall Officer Cadet School. second within a few being carefully studied by high-ranking officers at Western Command before being forwarded to the War Office in London.

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