INCAUTIOUS SAILORMAN

Evening Star, Issue 25170, 9 May 1944, Page 4

INCAUTIOUS SAILORMAN

INFORMATION ABOUT SHIP'S MOVEMENTS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 9. An officer on an ship waa to-day sentenced to a week's imprisonment'by Mr Morling, S.M., for a breach of the censorship regulations by writing u letter containing information about the movements of a British vessel. The 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, America, giving his name, rank, and the 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 he 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 against 'giving out information respecting ships' movements. Ross told the magistrate it was difficult to obtain the clothing he required here. The Magistrate said the consequences of giving out such information were so serious that the interests of the safety of the country and its ships made it necessary to impose an imprisonment term. The Magistrate ordered that Ross should be placed on board his ship if it sailed before the expiration of the week's prison term.