SPY MANIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26199, 9 July 1946, Page 4

SPY MANIA

LETTERS TO ENEMY AUCKLAND BOY’S “BUG” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 8. A sensational story published in a Sydney newspaper yesterday alleging that an Auckland boy had communicated with Germany during the war and had a mania for spying was strongly denied officially to-day, when it was stated that, although the boy had a spy mania, he had communicated nothing of value to the enemy. It was stated to-day that tile police and Security Intelligence knew all about him. He was born at Auckland in 1920, and early in the war was a snipping clerk with an Auckland firm. Inquiries by the police revealed that he had been communicating with a man in Germany, but this had no connection with the war. He had received one air mail letter from Hamburg and had posted a letter to the German Ambassador at Tokio, but, according to a high official of Security Intelligence, he “ got nowhere.” It was officially stated to-day that “ the boy had a spy ‘ bug,’ but was quite harmless and no serious aspects were involved. In 1943 he was fined £5 for wrongfully wearing an R.S.A. badge.” ■