Rounding Up Spies

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 5, 7 January 1941, Page 6

Rounding Up Spies

BLAME FOR NEW ZEALAND SYDNEY, Jan. 5. Commonwealth authorities are putting into operation secret plans for the biggest round up of spies and fifth columnists in the history of Australia and the Pacific, in an attempt to stop leakages of shipping information. In Brisbane, the quartermaster of the Rangitane, Edward Phillips, said that v hen ho and the other survivors of sunken ships were left on Emirau Island, one of the Germans frankly boasted of his knowledge. "So long, we’ll see you on the on ,’’ said the German, naming a liner well-known in the Now Zealand trade, and giving the date on which it was scheduled to leave the Dominion this month. Phillips said that the men on the Rangitane were convinced that the Information leakage was from New Zealand. "The knowledge that the Nazis had could not possibly have been available to the man in the street, and tfrere wiH be another Roger Casement story when the full facts are disclosed," he said. Phillips added that the survivors were positive that Count von Luckner was not on the raiders, but many believed that his was the master-mind behind the commerce raids. The general Impression was that von Luckner superintended the passage of the raiders in Australasian waters, and that raider captains were using charts prepared by him during his voyage on the Sec Teufel. During the secret drive to clear out spies and fifth columnists, the authorities will also impress upon loyal Australian citizens the need to tighten up themselves on discussing vital informa tion, or bits of it, which might come to them. Too Much Treedom for Neutral Ships Death was the only adequate penalty for any Australian citizen deliberately giving away to the enemy information cgj|csrning shipping movements, declared fhe Minister for the Navy, Mr. W. M. Hughes. He will discuss with the Naval Board the closing of avenues

through which information of a vital uature may be transmitted to the

enemy. He will particularly raise the following complaints:— (1) Too much liberty is allowed crews of neutral ships when in Australian ports, where it is possible for them to pick up information and radio it to raiders as soon as they get to sea.

(2) Neutral ships aro allowed to enter Australian ports, and frequently sail past any warships that may be about.

(3) Crews of neutral ships are allowed to roam at liberty about the waterfront, acquainting themselves with the names of ships and their cargoes, from which they can get a fair idea of their destination. (4) Frequent proximity of neutral ships to ships on which Australian troops for overseas service are embark- * ing. i