OPINIONS OF OUR READERS.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 65, Issue 5502, 24 July 1942, Page 3

OPINIONS OF OUR READERS.

CENSORSHIP Sir, —After the sinking of the Niagara I sent a letter Home to Scotland with the information that the Niagara struck a mine and went down with the loss of nine lives—the ship’s cat was drowned. Please tell Hitler. Fortunately, or unfortunately, my letter failed to reach its destination, and so Hitler would not be informed through that source. But my letter may have been intercepted before the sinking of the. ship that carried it, along with others which may have contained more important information than mine. Censorship in those days was not advanced as it is to-day, or I might have got into trouble for trying to communicate with Hitler. Several people have already been fined for putting vital information in the way of the enemy, innocently done, of course, and with no evil intent. I think it a wise precaution to awaken the careless, and no one should be exempt if caught in the act, but should be made to pay into the war fund according to their capital reserves, from the lowest in the land right up to the Ministers in the War Cabinet. The other day I began writing another letter to Scotland, giving out little titbits about the health and wealth of our relations and of one helping to build munition works in a certain town —naming the town. Re-reading the letter, I discovered, according to my mind, that I was giving away vital information, so I took my blue pencil ; (a real one) and scored out the name of the town and inserted in its place the word “somewhere.” Imagine my surprise when I opened up the Courier to find the very information that" I was at pains to conceal staring me in the face in broad daylight—right from the Minister of Industrial Manpower, our new blood in the War Cabinet. This was in connection with the registering of all women residents 22 to 25 years of age living in certain towns. Without naming the towij, this Js whsrt the Hon. A. McLagan said: “The local reserves of women-power registered for direction into essential work in ( ) is insufficient to meet the requirements of vital war work which will be carried on*there.” Was it essential for Mr McLagan to be so explicit about the place when the Japs are listening at the door? I understand that the works are camouflaged in such a way that from the air one

cannot recognise whether they are a bowling green or a band stand. And yet we have the War Cabinet giving the name of the town where vital war work is being carried on. It would be interesting to know how many newspapers carried forward this good news which may help the enemy. For we must realise that newspapers are sent overseas, and if intercepted by the enemy, become invaluable when they contain vital information direct from a Minister in the War Cabinet. * And I wonder if such information came over the air. What F said once is still true: “The man in the street is not in it with the man on the house top in helping the enemy.”—l am, etc., J. RIDDELL. Matapara.