FIFTH COLUMN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 26 June 1940, Page 6

FIFTH COLUMN

NAZIS IN AUSTRALIA MEMBERS OF GESTAPO ACTIVITIES ALLEGED SYDNEY. 19th June. | A Sydney journalist, Mr Arthur M. ! Pooley, who is a former Reuter correpondent in Japan and is recognised here ' as an authority on international affairs.! said in an address to a Sydney club that i the Federal Government was fully aware of the activities of the Nazi Fifth ; Column in Australia, from information contained in official documents seized on j the internment of German nationals.

Members of the German Gestapo were 1 also in Australia, he said. Their duty ! was to watch the Australian Nazi] leaders as well as the rank and file of; the Nazi party.

Australia, like other countries, had a Nazi organisation under the control of an official for the whole continent, with head officials for each State and for the principal cities. Under this scheme full information respecting the life history and activities of all Germans in Australia was sent to Berlin, where it was filed. This applied also to Germans who were naturalised Australian subjects. The German Government did not recognise this naturalisation, so that there were many persons in Australia with a dual nationality. This was a serious problem from the Commonwealth Government standpoint. The object of the Fifth Column in Australia, Mr Pooley added, was to make friends with Australian people of I importance; to exert influence by propaganda and false friendship; to work through musical and cultural societies; | and to send valuable information to i Germany by radio and other means. j