Secretary's Broado

Full Text of Colonial Secretary's Broado

(Broadcast from VRH Suva, in the eveis of Saturday, November 19, by Mr. A. F. R. Stoddart, CMG.) This morning a statement was publish'd the "Fiji Times and Herald" to the effect; it is believed that the official view hele Fiji authorities is that the passengers? crew of the "Joyita" were murdered, ancb an attempt was made to sink the vess; order to cover all evidence of the crime. .

Having read the report I have come tt microphone to speak on behalf of the Gif ment of Fiji and to say most emphatically! it is not—l repeat, NOT —true that this i view of the Government of Fiji, nor is? view held in any responsible official C 3 This point was made in a statement bfl Public Relations Officer, which was quotit the newspaper, and my purpose now emphasise it.

The Government and its responsible oft have hitherto refrained from expressing! positive opinion on how the disaster tt "Joyita" came about. Until a full and tt cal examination of the vessel has been i it will not be possible to form any o opinion on what may have happened.

But, as this opinion has, withoutti foundation, been attributed to the G 3 ment, it is only right that I should i all listeners that all the evidence s? obtained from the condition of the sH; she was found, and from such examiii of her contents as has so far been piq supports the suggestion that the cause ' disaster was natural causes—that is t»1 that she was overwhelmed as a result of( freak weather at a time when perhapi engines were stopped.

This is, I admit, only speculation, butti is no positive evidence at present to s any other likely cause.

I am making this statement not only in to deny the statement which has i attributed to official sources but al:l possible, to give some assurance to the as relatives of those who were travelling "Joyita". We all have the most hei sympathy for them and we can only that their distress should be unnece: increased by the circulation of suchd suggestions for which there is no foumn