LETTER WRITERS WARNED

Southland Times, Issue 24765, 9 June 1942, Page 3

LETTER WRITERS WARNED

WOMAN’S BREACH OF REGULATIONS A warning that citizens should be extremely careful when writing letters was issued by Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., yesterday when Delia Wilson, of Riverton, appeared in the Magistrate's Court charged with a breach of the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations 1939. Mrs Wilson pleaded guilty to writing a letter containing information about the disposition of an ammunition dump in a military camp. She was fined £2 and costs. Chief Detective R. Thompson said that the defendant lived at South Riverton and in May last was at Hamilton visiting a relation. On May 10 she wrote a letter to a soldier serving overseas. The letter contained information which would have been of value to an enemy. The defendant was a respectable citizen and did not realize the seriousness of her action. There was no ulterior motive. The prosecution was the first of its kind in the district. "This is the first case of its kind in the district and I should be glad to think it was the last,” said the Magistrate. The defendant's action was extraordinarily stupid and dangerous. If the letter had fallen into the hands of the Japanese it would have been of immense value to them. It was unbelievable what people would write these days. Her action was quite simple, but immensely stupid. The regulations provided for a fine of £lOO or 12 months’ imprisonment as the maximum penalty. "You have been extremely thoughtless and have done an extremely dangerous thing. The seriousness of this must be impressed on other men. women and children,” said the Magistrate to the accused.