Evening star., 1938-05-11

commander Of the Cost Guard, made
this statement:
1T is my considered judgment that
any want Of batteries for the direction
finder temporarily mounted at How
land Island at the time of the Ear
hart flight had no bearing on the fate
of the plane and its crew and no blame
can or should be imputed to any
one on such a basis"
There is little question that Miss
Earhart and MIR. Noonan knew that
they might experience radio difficulty
on the hazardous hop across the Pa
cific, as they had flown the South
Atlantic with a radio which had
failed to function.
Messages directed to them empha-
sized the Importance OF speeding up
the trip at the last stages, and they
gambled-and lost-on the human
ability to overcome mechanical handi-
caps.
Radio Receiving Failure.
Just prior to the departure from
Lac. the take-off was delayed because
OF the failure of radio receiving equip
ment which prevented Mr.. Noonan
from celebrating his chronometer
But messages from the United States
urged a speedy return.
A few days delay to insure the
proper functioning Of the faulty radio
might have saved two courageous per-
sons.
The Itasca, at San Pedro, was given
eight hours notice to proceed to How
land Island and take up position to
aid the flyers. The Itasca had no
time to arrange for special radio
equipment. At Hawaii, where the cut
ter paused to refuel, the high-fre-
quency direction finder was placed
aboard, over the protests of the Itasca' S
commander, as his ship was not
equipped to operate it.
To add to the confusion of the
rushed efforts to place the Itasca at
the key safety position for the flight,
the cutter received only conflicting in
formation as to the arrangements and
radio frequencies to be used on the
Earhart plane.
Requests came from both Miss Ear
hart and her representatives in this
country for the Itasca to broadcast
signals on a radio frequency which
her plane could not possibly pick up
and use to any degree of safety, the
log OF the 1tasca shows.
Repeated messages from the Itasca
to clear up discrepancies in informa-
ton went unanswered.
Commander Warned Officials.
On two occasions before Miss Ear
hart left Lac Comdr. Thompson sent
warning messages to Washington re-
porting the potential radio. dangers Of
the flight.
Finally, when Miss Earhart and
Mr.. Noonan left Lac for Rowland Is
land is was hours before the Itasca
learned that the plane had taken of,
and then the news came from a press
association news broadcast.
On June 81 the Itasca transmitted
the following message from Washing
ton to Miss Earhart:
Advise Earhart from Darwin she
will communicate with Itasca via
Samoa the desired frequency, time
and type Of signal best for her hon.
ing device. She will advise fully via
Samoa before leaving Lac"
The message went unanswered and
was repeated the next day.
On June % the Itasca again radioed
Miss Eahhart, requesting her to desig-
nate the time and type of radio sig
mails desired. The cutter also advised
her that I'VE will give smoke by day
and searchlight by night"
The next day the Itasca received a
message from San Francisco, trans
mitted at the request of George Pal
n1er Putnam, Miss Earhart's husband.
asking the cutter e adjust its radio