TASK OF THE CENSORSHIP

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4553, 19 February 1942, Page 4

TASK OF THE CENSORSHIP

“Hundreds of New Zealanders in all walks of life are apparently prepared to act as honorary enemy agents.” This statement was made to-day by an official connected with the censorship of mails and commercial cablegrams in the Dominion. In any one day, the official said, it was possible to glean from letters posted in New Zealand information which, if it were to fall into the enemy's hands, would endan- | ger valuable cargoes and infinitely ; more valuable lives. ‘ ‘ The reason for censorship ’ the official continued, “is to prevent such 1 valuable information from falling in- . to enemy hands. However, even the most efficient censorship system cannot be perfect, and any imperfections which may exist can be magnified be-

yond all reason if innocent but irresponsible persons continue to discuss in letters overseas things which a moment ’s reflection should show that they oughi not to discuss at all.” t Right from the start of the war, the | official said, instructions and advice > to the general public regarding censor- | ship had been clear and explicit. The | principles adopted were commonsense I and ob vious. For instance, it was mani- : r.ogfiy gerous for any information dated regarding Naval movent rchant shipping movements, | troop : ements, or dispositions of | the ar forces. Yet people continues ■ ice overseas, passing on news soldiers and airmen in such i .t juannoi that the lives of those same 1 sailors, soldiers and airmen, and the | Uves or all their coanrades, could be | placed in jeopardy- | No reference to any section of the | armed forces can be wholly without I . . -r. b icause a simple innocent stary become highly dangerous ced with other information. \ One inking person, for instance, s ni'i that John Smith is still on | -. In the same mail some- | one . nay have written that John i leave in Auckland. Either may be regarded as entire* | :y free of danger, but taken together

' they show that at a par

ticular date was at Auckland, and if tliis vee 1 was at Auckland, her departure . )in some other theatre of war may be < aus revealed. Other writers give th late of departure of a merchantman , carrying troops or parties of airmen. They talk about valuable cargoes raving on specified dates for specified lestinations: Mention is made of the :n pcaranco of new aeroplanes ami of O' istruction of new areodromes. Pages are filled about the location of coastal batteries or of mobilisation centres which are an integral part of Ncv. Zealand’s defences.

' ‘ In the main, this information is includi .1 in letters in a purely personal way, ’ ’ said the official, ‘ ‘ but in the vast majority of eases the personal reference has a significance which involves a whole unit, large or small, ihat is why«»the censorship authorities " Ul "d to demand from the public as a vlu,i e the highest standard of care in all correspondence addressed overseas. There is always the possibility that surface mails may at any tiim' he intercepted by enemy raiders n a few hundred miles of oar sts. liven gossip regarding army moluii'.at lon ; n New Zealand and the shun non of military camps can enable the enemy to make a fairly accurate estimation of the Dominion’s *'*>• and to shape his plans ac-’

cordingly. “Irresponsibility and thoughtlessness may be human faults, ” the official added, “but in time of war they can become crimes, all the more ghastly for lack of criminal intent. They arc crimes punishable by heavy fines or long terms of imprisonment. Already numerous offenders have been warned —to safeguard the lives of those lighting for them.”

“It makes me tired when people who ought to know better class tobacco as a mere luxury something that can easily be done without,” remarked a Wellington tobacconist to a customer the other day. “As a member of the trade for forty years I know that the weed is almost as necessary to very many smokers as the food they ear, and that enforced abstinence from its soothing, calming influence is to them a very real hardship, especially when times are bad. Particularly is this the case in New Zealand where we are producing tobacco of the very finest quality. To what brands do I refer! Why to all five brands so popular with smokers —Riverhead Gold, Desert Gold, Navy Cut No 3 (Bulldog), Pocket Edition, an Cut Plug No 10 (Bullshead). I need hardly tell you that their purity is largely owing to the fact that they are toasted and are thus rendered as harmless to smokers as they are fragrant and delicious. Such tobacco may well be considered a ‘necessary commodity.’ .It is certainly something more than a luxury.”