PREPARING ARGUMENT.

The Argus, Melbourne, Friday 31 March, 1911.

MR. NORTHCOTE'S OPINION.

Mr. E. Northcote, general manager of the

Adelaide S S. Company, desires it to be

stated, in connection with the report of a

statement made by him in "The Argus'' of

yesterday, that he did not say that the

vessel had probably foundered with all

hands, but that after striking some reef

the Yongala probably foundered with all

hands.

On first inspection there hardly seems to be a difference between the two statements - Yongala foundered with all hands however that might have come about. But Mr. Northcote went so far as to ask The Argus to publish a correction. Why? There were rumours from the earliest stage after the disaster that Yongala was tender / unstable. The initial press release leaves the cause open to public imagination and sets the scene for a tricky Inquiry. Mr. Northcote realised that he would have to make the point quite clear that Yongala would have to have struck something to founder. Anything less would imply a slur on her seaworthiness. But the correction, in itself, was an insistence which should have had alarm bells ringing.

Great Barrier Reef from space