WEEK IN GAOL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 177, 9 May 1944, Page 4

WEEK IN GAOL.

OFFENCE BY SHIP’S OFFICER (P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. An officer on an overseas ship was to-day sentenced by a Magistrate (Mi Molding) to a week’s imprisonment for a breach of the censorship regulations by writing a letter containing information about the movements of a British vessel. Defendant was James Ross, aged 21, who pleaded guilty. It was stated that Ross was sixth engineer on the ship. He wrote a letter in Jersey City, the United States of America, giving his name, rank, and date of his ship’s arrival and projected departure. The censor intercepted the letter and forwarded it to the police. Defendant’s explanation to the police was that his ship left America before lie could pick up his laundry and his purpose in writing was to get his brother to pick up the laundry for him and leave it at the shipping office. There was nothing to suggest that Ross was other than a loyal subject or that there was anything sinister in what he did, but there were many notices posted on his ship warning the crew against giving out information respecting the ships’ movements. Mr Ross told the Magistrate that it was difficult to obtain the clothing he required here. The Magistrate said that the consequences of giving out such information were so serious that the interests ot the safety of the country and its ships made it necessary to impose a term of imprisonment. The Magistrate ordered that Ross should be placed on board his ship if it sailed before the expiration of the week.