CARELESS TALK

Grey River Argus, 10 November 1944, Page 6

CARELESS TALK

With the United. Nations in the ascendancy in Europe and the Pacific there is a justifiable feeling of optimism abroad in New Zealand. Unfortunately, there is also a tinge of complacency. The strain felt when a Japanese invasion was possible has j passed, and many people now thing they have no direct part to play in protecting the country. They are wrong, New Zealand is thousands of miles from a battle front. Its citizens nevertheless, if they do not guard their tongues, can aid the enemy. Sending men and munitions for the Allied Nations Forces, New Zealand is an important supply base. As it cannot definitely; be said that ' information regarding supplies from | the Dominion does not reach the enemy it behoves everyone who has knowledge of shipping movements to keep it to themselves, and .not pass it on to those ■who do not need the knowledge officially. Saying that there was as much need for secrecy about shipping movements now as at any stage of the war a Christchurch Security Officer condemned careless 1 talk becoming prevalent. He pointed out that the censorship and publicity regulations made no distinction between the various types of vessels in prohibiting the disclosure of movements of overseas shipping. It was just as much an offence under the Regulations to write or speak carelessly about the movements of a warship, a hospital ] ship or a cargo ship. It must be remembered that prior knowledge of the movements of a hospital ship would indicate to the enemy where we next expected casualties. Thoughtless chattering about troop movements would also cause grave damage to the Allied cause. If news reached the Japanese that personnel of an armoured unit had left for service in the Pacific, it might supply them with vital information. The Japanese might be expecting attacks on a' number of islands, only one of which was suitable for the use of armoured fighting vehicles. Thus, the information regarding the dispatch of a relatively small armoured unit from New Zealand might indicate to the enemy where the attack could be expected. It would be met by a fore-warned powerful enemy, with consequently heavier losses, due directly to the careless talker in New Zealand. The bandying of such information by relatives and friends of men aboard ship is condemned. These people would be horrified’ if they realised they were endangering lives by such talk, yet this is the case. They should think before, they speak or write whether thev”bbtalned the information from the newspapers or heard it on a New Zealand radio station. If they do not gain their information from one of these sources, then it is not safe to impart