Security Officers Visit Sydney Newspaper Office

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 October 1948, Page 5

Security Officers Visit Sydney Newspaper Office

(Rec. 10.50 a.m.) SYDNEY. This Day.

Commonwealth security officers investigating Mr A. W. Fadden’s “secret documents” disclosures in the House of Representatives visited the Sydney Morning Herald offices in Sydney and Parliament House, Canberra. They produced warrants to search for documents and papers which might afford indications as to the commission of an offence under the Crimes Act. The Herald took legal opinion, and, while it was advised that the legal right to search was doubtful, itTanded to security officers in Sydney the manuscript of certain messages sent to the Herald i from, its Canberra office. These concerned the import of tobacco leaf and the reported American reluctance to reveal information about atomic energy research. , . “This action apparently arose from the discovery that one Herald report about tobacco imports had been based on information supplied by a typist in the Department of Post-War Reconstruction to the Herald repoi tex with whom she hud been iiiendly over a long period, says the Heiald. “It is understood that the typist concerned has been dismissed from the Public ServceArThe Herald has relieved the reporter of his duties at Canberra. As legal action may be taken,’ the Herald makes no comment ’on any aspect of this matter at this stage. The Herald reports about atomic energy and tobacco imports were written by the same reporter, but there does not appear to be any connection between the souices of information contained in the atomic energy reports and the information about tobacco imports.”