SECRET PRINTING

Grey River Argus, 4 December 1940, Page 8

SECRET PRINTING

Communist Literature AUSTRALIAN POLICE SEARCH. SYDNEY, November 21. State capitals are being combed by Federal officials for hidden printing presses and typewriting machines on which banned Communist literature is being printed. In Sydney a special effort is being made to locate those responsible for the printing of the Communist newspaper, the Tribune, which was officially’ closed down under National Security regulations.

The Tribune is now being printed in secret on out-of-date maemnery, and is being distributed to the public.

Reports received by the Commonwealth Investigation' Branch show, that it has a very small circulation. If those responsible for the production of the paper are discovered, they will be severely punished under the National Security Act. Apart from confiscation of property, this Act provides a fine of £lOO or imprisonment for six montns, or |both, if prosecuted summarily, and a fine of any amount or imprisonment ■for any peroid, or both, if prosecuted ion indictment. I Information in the hands of the ■Jtederal authorities shows that the 'Communist organisation is “functioning only weakly’’ since it was canned by the Government. Membership has i dwindled and the distribution of subI versive literature has been substantially reduced. It is intended, however. to force the Communist Party completely out of existence for the duration of”the war, at least.