CARELESS TALK

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 180, 28 April 1941, Page 4

CARELESS TALK

Harmful Effect On War Effort

AN OFFICER’S WARNING

The harmful effect of careless talk and the spreading of rumours on New Zealand’s war effort were stressed in a broadcast talk given last night by a military intelligence officer. In this he pointed out that the greatest danger was from the thoughtless person who gave away information for no other reason than that he or she simply could not keep quiet about it. Evidence was not lacking to show that this type of person was disturbingly common.

“Anyone who has considered the question for a moment knows quite well that one of the essentials of the Empire’s war effort is the security of the shipping services that bind the Dominions to the Homeland and to one another,” said the speaker. “If the enemy gets the slightest chance he will strike and strike hard at these lifelines. We already know the extent to which enemy raiders have been successful in the Pacific in the past few months —to choose an example near home —and in the report of the commission which recently considered an aspect of this question we were all told plainly that we gossip and chatter far too much about shipping movements. Need For Discretion.

“Surely it is not too much to ask of everyone in this country that he or she should exercise some discretion when talking—or preferably before talking —about the movements of ships, the disposition of troops, the strength of forts and defence posts, or anything at all that would give away some information of which the enemy could make use. I have no patience with the person who so often says ‘Everyone knows about it, so why worry.’ That is the attitude that breeds the indifference and carelessness that a clever and unscrupulous enemy would rejoice to see in this country; it Is the attitude that lays a country open to the deadliest of blows, for we must assume that this country, like any other country, fighting in this cause for freedom is certainly not free from enemy influence within our midst. “I ask you, if you wish to retain the freedom and the comfort that the New Zealand way of life has given us, to weigh your words before you speak —if you must speak: To think before you write —if you must write. What I want to warn you against—and it should not be too much to ask—is not only that you should not be a carrier of vital information, which anybody can readily recognize as such, but also that you should give no credence oi' currency to the rumoui's, the halftruths? and the untruths, that even the most commonplace of incidents is likely to give rise to in wartime. “The idlest of rumours, started by someone who thought he heard or saw something out of the common, can go to fantastic lengths, as anyone who has tried to track down a spurious story of this kind must be aware. It has been said, and truly, that a lie, once given 24 hours’ start, can never be caught up with. That is also true of a rumour, but the latter is more im sidious than a downright lie, and for that reason is the more to be feared. “Life in a democratic community makes possible the existence of loopholes that could never exist in a country where the lives of the people aro ruled by fear. One of the reasons why we are in this war is to prove that our way of life is a better one than the Nazis would impose on us; why start off by showing a weakness? “Admittedly, when the average person is given some information that is not generally known it is hard for him to keep it to himself. There is a strong temptation to tell someone else about it, if only to give a hiut of superior knowledge. New Zealanders are no exception to this rule. But, if you would not imperil our chances of winning the war, it you would wish to protect the lives ot thousands of our trained men, if you would want to bring ihatenal support to that great army of civilians, soldiers, sailors, and airmen, who are fighting the great battle overseas, think well before you say one word that might give the lurking raider an opportunity to do its fell work, before you drop one hint that might enable the enemy, by a means you cannot comprehend, but in which he is. an expert, to mass his forces ata weak point, or to concentrate his bombers on a convoy carrying food or war materials or troops. ... , x How To Act.

“If you work in an office or have access to any information about the loadiug or sailing of ships, keep it to yourself. Tell no one. Regard this as a patriotic duty. If a soldier relative overseas has sent you some uncensored details about the position of his unit, don t broadcast them. Realize that, but fot somebody’s oversight, you would never have had the news and that it would have been far better if the letter had never been written. If you are a business man and have received some advice about inward or outward cargoes, please remember that anything you may say about it means giving away to someone —possibly an enemy agent—the approximate position of a ship, possibly a whole convoy, and that your thoughtless action may have consequences your wildest dreams could not imagine. . “To You —who discussed in the local pub what you saw yesterday and, what you heard today concerning our forces, our shipping, our aeroplanes, I say Keep ouiet ’ Walls have ears, and no good can come of such a discussion anyway. “To You—Mrs. So-and-So—who tell vour neighbours over the garden wall, over the cafe tea-table, in a tram, on a bus, what you heard Mrs. say yesterday, or what your husband and/or 'boy tells you in.his letters from abroad, I sav, ’Keep Quiet.’ . / “To You—to whom someone wishes to impart information—authentic or otherwise—which cannot possibly do you any "•ood but can only do harm from being repeated, I say, tell your neighbour, your friends or whoever your informer may be, tell him to keep his mouth shut. The Enduring Rule. “To you all, I say, learn the simple but enduring rule, that any information regarding naval, military, air or shipping matters must not be discussed or repeated —this is simply commonsense. "All these things I would earnestly ask you to think about and observe. Don’t imagine it to be someone else’s responsibility. You have a duty, too. May I remind you that you offend the law if you publish information prejudicial to the safety of the State and that the penalties for so doing are severe. “When men —husbands, brothers, children, friends —are going away to risk their lives in our defence, surely it is not too much to expect that you should not do or say anything that might make their task more difficult or dangerous. For that is what many of you in New Zealand are doing today, and. the fact that you are not doing it knowingly does not reduce the danger nor excuse you.’