The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-07

MISS GdTIluTU, WHO III messages 1TOlIl San Francisco, had urged such course.
 Husband Convinced
 Putnam is convinced that Miss Earhart and Noonan landed short of their goal, rather than beyond it. He believes strong headwinds threw them slightly off their course and used up so much fuel that an emergency landing was necessary. Last night, after the Itasca arrived northwest of HoWiand Island and failed to find the big plane, Put nam conferred with Paul Mantz, Miss Earhart's technical advisor, and Lieut.. s. K. Johnson of the coast guard office. They concurred with his views and Lieutenant Johnson relayed the recommendation that the search be centralized in the vicinity of the British owned Phoeni Islands.
 Putnam,s belief that the plan Is down in this area was bolstered by information from the Lockheed com pany, makers of the craft, that it could transmit no radio message if it were in water. There are no charted islands or reefs to the north of Rowland Island while there are literally hundreds of them to the south. Putnam has insisted from the first tha this wife was on land and not floating on the open sea. Hope Fluctuates
 Despite this belief, hope for the globe flyers and their ability to sub. sist in the terrific heat on 8 meage, diet has huctuated with each new radio report Putnam said that out of the welter of reports he and his friends in the coast guard had at- tempted to sift those they believed authentic. He apparently has placed little credence in messages which indicated the craft was waterlogged and in danger of sinking.
 Edward Bryan, local scientist familiar with the Phoenix Islands believed Putnam is correct in plac- ing the flyers on one of them. If forced down there, he said, Miss Earhart and Noonan could find suf- flcient cocoanuts and fish to keer alive after their concentratde food was exhausted.
 The cocoanuts have brackish taste, he said, and the fish are plentiful and easily caught.
 Island Are Fat
 Most of the islands are fiat and the biggest rise only 20 or 30 feet above the ocean, Bryan said. Can- ton Island, from which scientists made observations of the recent eclipse, has a rude shelter and also a wide sandy straightaWay along an inner lagoon which could have been used for an emergency land- ing.
 The Winslow Banks, little north of the Phoenix group, are mostly reefs. The area is not completely charted and 1t was indicated search of the area by boat would be slow The planes from the Colorado, how ever, will be able to covre the en- tire spread of the two groups, run ming 200 miles east and west and 75 miles north and south, without difficulty.
 Search for Miss Earhart was not confined to American naval boats the Japanese fishing fleet, which works through the south Pacific was instructed to lend all possible assistance. The Japanese navy in- structed Its supply ship Koshu cruising near the Marshall Islands to communicate with all Japanese vessels in the area in an effort te aid.
 Gives His Thanks
 Putnam, at San Francisco, issued a statement in which he voiced his thanks and appreciation for the aid of the navy, coast guard, amateur radio operators and others. He de- nied he had been critical of the manner in which the search has been conducted.
 "On the contrary" he said, T am in perfect accord with every action federal officials have taken"
 Cost of the search, which involves eight ships and between 5000 and 4,000 men, is believed to be more than $250,000 a day.