INVISIBLE INK

Evening Star, Issue 25225, 12 July 1944, Page 3

INVISIBLE INK

MESSAGES FRDM DEFAULTERS' GAMP two brgtherTcohvicted (T\A.) BOTORUA, July 11. iV story about invisible ink and letters hidden in the false bottom of packages Rent to the defaulters' cam.p at Hautu was told in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when Iwo brothers detained at the camp, Robert Harold Radermacher and Reginald Edward Kadermacher, wore charged before Mr fc>. L. Paterson, S.M., with attempting to semi letters otherwise than in accordance with thi! National Service Emergency Regulations. 1940. Detective-sergeant White explained that the men detained could send sealed letters to the Minister without censorship. All other correspondence had to be submitted unsealed for perusal by the camp superintendent. Daniel Fletcher, superintendent at the Hautu camp, said that these rules wero well known to the inmates, but letters hv t.he accused to their mother, when subjected to heat, revealed messages which were previously invisible. These messages dealt with matters which would not have been passed for despatch. Witness told how packages of goods sent to the accused from their mother were found to have false bottoms. One such package contained a hidden packet of tea, which was forbidden, a letter m Ordinary ink, and a message in invisiblo ink. Witness said that reference was mad« in the letter to forbidden topics. It also contained abuse of the staff and of witness himself, and details about interviews with the relatives of other men detained. The accused, witness added, had handed m letters for perusal which appeared to be harmless till heat was applied, and then it was revealed that information was beius given out in an underhand- manner. A search of the hut occupied by one of the accused had resulted in the discovery of the fluid used to write the hidden messages. This fluid was composed mostly of lemon juice. Witness'added that the accused had sent money out of the camp to tlieir mother through visitors. The controller of the detention camps took a serious view of the matter, in view of the possibility of arranging escapes and hampering the -administration. Each of the accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour.