ALLEGED LEAKAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 145, 1 April 1941, Page 6

ALLEGED LEAKAGE

THE MOVEMENTS OF SHIPPING.

REPORT BY THE COMMISSION. MANY ASPECTS REVIEWED. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The report of the Commission that investigated the alleged leakage of information regarding the movement of shipping from New Zealand was issued to-day. The following is a summary of the findings:— As to the capture of the Holmwood at 8 a.m. on November 25, 1940, radio messages between the Chathams and New Zealand in clear language which the Germans claim to have intercepted, may have assisted the enemy. Appropriate precautions have since been taken, to prevent a recurrence. For at least three-quarters of an hour, the raiders must have been visibly overtaking the Holmwood. This gave ample time for suspecting them and for sending the wireless message which it is the duty of a merchant vessel to send, with the object of assisting in the location and destruction of raiders, and regardless of the consequences to itself. For the failure to send the wireless message, Captain Miller, who was the sole wireless operator as well as master, is responsible. Also the lookout was defective and the second officer should have called the captain as soon as fee observed the first raider. The consequences of the failure to send the wireless message was probably serious, as it would probably have reached New Zealand and the Rangitane, which had put to sea about two hours earlier, would then have been recalled. As to the capture of the Rangitane at 4 o’clock on the morning of November 27, the Commission recounts the steps promptly taken by Captain Upton, commends the successful sending of the wireless message under fire, but remarks that the ship’s gun should not have been covered and that the master should be familiar with the gun’s equipment. Claims Made by Germans. The report, discusses in detail the claims made by the Germans, and believed by some of the captives, that the Germans were illegitimately in possession of information which enabled them to capture the Rangitane. After a full analysis of the evidence the Commission finds:—

(1) That some of the claims made by the Germans were false.

(2) That it is not established that there have been any leakages, either directly or indirectly, from New Zealand of information as to the movements of shipping, but (3) That it is impossible to be sure that no such leakages have taken place. Captain Upton obeyed his naval instructions both on his voyage to New Zealand and on his voyage from New Zealand. There is no ground for concluding that before they encountered the Rangitane the Germans knew anything whatever about her cargo, her course or her delay off Rangitoto, although, after the capture, they pretended to have known these things. The conclusions recorded by Mr W. H. Stuart, former Chief Justice of Tonga, are examined and rejected.

The Commission thinks that the German commander was at considerable pains to impress his captives with his omniscience and cleverness, and succeeded. Shipping at Nauru. It is thought possible that at about G on the evening of November 27 a. New Zealand reconnaissance piano which failed to detect the raiders was observed from one of them, and that this could happen without negligence by the watchers in the plane. As to the Kbmata and the Vinni each vessel safely accomplished the voyage covered by the instructions it received in New Zealand and was captured thereafter. The occurrence of a considerable congregation of shipping at Nauru was common knowledge, and by the capture of the Triona’s mails the raiders may have learnt what ships to expect there. No inference as to leakage of information from New Zealand is therefore drawn from the raiders’ knowledge that there would be ships at Nauru, or what ships they would find there. The Komata’s conduct as to sending a

wireless message is commended, but it is remarked that some of the confidential papers fell into the hands of the enemy, which might have been avoided had duplicate keys to the safe been in the hands of separate persons. The reasons given by Captain Irish (of the Komata) for thinking that rite Germans must have been in possession of information from Australia or New Zealand are analysed, hut are not accepted as proving leakage. Preservation of Secrecy. The opinion is expressed that it would not be surprising to obtain proof that leakage of shipping information from New Zealand has occurred. The Commission thinks that large sections of the public have never appreciated the wisdom of the Government’s' decision to shroud the movements of shipping in

secrecy and, instead of co-operating, have hindered by unintelligent and selfish indiscretion. Numerous examples are cited from the evidence. Among these are the indiscreet habits of airmail correspondents and of senders of cables and radio messages, and some practices of shipping companies. Examples are also given of dangerous gossip, of negligence in. the custody of secret documents, of unnecessarily wide and early information as to future shipping movements disseminated

among persons concerned in the export of produce, and of lack of imagination by railway officials. The control of the Wellington wharves is criticise!. The methods use.d in the Navy and Army for preserving secrecy as to intended troop movements have been examined and are considered satisfactory.The Public. Service Commissioner does his best to supply clerical assistants of proved reliability for really secret work. The control of broadcasting services

is thought satisfactory, provided the staffs faithfully administer the careful systems that have been evolved. The control of aliens is examined and is thought not to leave room for legitimate criticism, provided the investigation is extended to include nationals ot States liable to be infected with the Nazi philosophy. The possibility of undetected illicit wireless transmission from New Zealand has been considered, and cannot be dismissed despite official vigilance. The possibility of abuse of ostensibly innocent business cables is also mentioned. The authorities are alive to this danger.