FIFTH COLUMN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 146, 21 June 1940, Page 8

FIFTH COLUMN.

IN AUSTRALIA. NATURALISED GERMANS. SENSATIONAL CHARGES. (Special—By Air Mail.) SYDNEY, June 19. Sensational allegations about Nazi Fifth Columnists in Australia were made by Mr. A. M. Pooley in a Legacy Club luncheon talk. Mr. Pooley was foreign editor of the '•Evening News," which ceased publication during the depression. Since then he has been connected principally with Shipping Newspapers, Limited.

Mr. Pooley contended that it was naturalised German* who were the danger. "The Nazis have spent tens of thousands of pounds in Australia organising their grip on persons of German birth and blood," Mr. Pooley said. "Germany does not recognise, naturalisation of her subjects, ir given the opportunity, every German in Australia could find in the headquarters of the 'Nazi Party in Foreign Lands' organisation in Berlin a little yellow card giving .all details of himself and his The final question on every card is: 'Can this person be trusted in an emergency ?'"

Mr. Pooley stated that when authorities seized papers of the Union of German Societies of Australia and New Zealand after the beginning of the war, they found the names of 2000 Germans and pro-Germans who had taken an oath of allegiance to the Third Reich. "The German who is naturalised is Australia's greatest problem in stamping out the Fifth Column. Many of them became citizens merely to spy and sabotage," he declared. "German sailors who took out citizenship papers after deserting ship were Storm Troopers sent to do Fifth Column work. I know at least a dozen of these men. Some have been locked up, but a great number- have not."

WARNING ! " THOUSANDS of lives were J- lost in the last war because valuable information was given away to the enemy through careless talk. BE ON YOUR GUARD." Following the lines adopted in England and Canada, the above notice was on display in Government Departments in the city to-day. An example of careless talk was heard a few days ago by a reporter who was travelling in a tram. Three naval, ratings discussing a projected' trip to England freely mentioned dates of departure and names of vessels. Nobody appeared to be interested in the conversation, but the newspaperman made a note of eight points that would be useful to an enemy agent.