DANGEROUS TALK

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 206, 29 May 1944, Page 4

DANGEROUS TALK

Movements Of Shipping And Troops INFORMATION FOR ENEMY The dangerous consequences of loose talk about shipping and troop movements were emphasized by a military intelligence officer in an address lust night. He quoted examples to show how the enemy had been forewarned of pending operations on several occasions simply through indiscreet remarks on the part of citizens. He said if people did not talk or write about what they knew the enemy could never be any the wiser. The ease of a man of German extraction arrested in Queensland who used to live in New Zealand was quoted by the intelligence officer. This man, lie said, was caught with a shortwave transmitting set he had converted from a diathermy machine and was flashing the latest news from Australia to the Japanese in fhe Philippines. The attack on the Gilbert Islands last November and fhe heavy casualties suffered by the United States Marine Division were also mentioned by the officer, who said the Japanese had warning of that attack. This division left from New Zealand and that warning could have come from this country. . , . “Not very long ago a worried civilian reported au incident whjch occurred while he was in a train approaching a New Zealand port,” said the officer. “From the train a particularly large ship could be seen just entering the harbour. Passengers crowded to the windows to get a better view. Then they started to talk. He listened. Before lie left the train he'had been told the name of the ship, her tonnage, the number of troops she had carried to the Middle East last year, where ' she bad since been, the reason for her present visit, when she was leaving, and where she was going. By afternoon the story of that ship was all over the town. Passengers and crews of other overseas ships in port could not have missed hearing it. And what an interesting tit-bit of news for the passengers of an overseas plane which left next day. And so it spread on and on. If the enemy did not hear about that ship, it was not for want of cooperation on our part. Those talkative people in the suburban train and many others like them were unconsciously doing their best to pass information to the enem'y. Mounting Offensives.

“A dangerous idea is gaining ground in New Zealand that now that the enemy is being driven further away, we can afford to let up a bit. Precisely the opposite is true. The" enemy now needs information as ho has never needed it before. Faced with mounting offensives on laud, sea and air, threatened with invasion, he knows that his only chance of winning now is to find out what we are planning to do. Advance knowledge of our intentions can more than double his strength. And with even less than double his strength he can still win. And so the whole world network of Axis intelligence is vibrating with urgent questions. "What is the destination of this or that convoy? That key division that’s on rest leave. When is it going back? Where is it going? Those- ships that left-the port the other day. What, are their cargoes? Where are they going? Some of you can answer those questions. Some of you are answering questions like those openly every day. “New Zealand is a vital link m the Allied line of supply—a vital base for South Pacific operations, thousands of miles nearer the Pacific fighting than tl)e United States. It is in much the same position in fact in relation- to the Pacific operations as Britain is to the invasion of Europe. We have been warned that big things are in the air. The Allies are about to attack on many fronts.- The enemy’s only chance of stopping us is to have warning of our intentions. Small items of information about the movements of troops and shipping can give him just that warning. Such information is often within your knowledge. But he can’t get it if you keep it to yourself. Remember, it’s not what you know that is dangerous, it’s what you say.”