SPIES LANDED?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 61, 15 March 1943, Page 1

SPIES LANDED?

AUSTRALIAN BELIEF LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION Sydney, Feb. 5. The army believes that military information is still reaching the enemy from Australia. It is tnought that spies may have been landed irom submarines, and that enemy agents may be sending information by means ol short-wave radio installed in trucks like the Freedom radios in Europe. Such mobile radios are very difficult to locate by directional means because they are stationary for so short a time.

Gossip in public places is one source of information to the enemy, the Federal Government believes, m a statement on the matter, the AttorneyGeneral (Dr. Evatt) said tne puo.ic probably failed to realise how easily apparently insignificant scraps or gossip could be pierced together to form a significant pattern.

An example of this was provided recently in a northern town. A Government agent visited places of public recreation, and from idle gossip obtained sufficient intormation to estaolish the identity of Australian units in the operational areas and their whereabouts. Knowledge wmeh he obtained about contemplated troop movements necessitated reconsideration of the programme. It was also found that, while entertaining troops, women oiten heard items of gossip which, wnen repeatea outside service circles could have endangered the lives of the very men whose weliare they were trying to promote. Dr. Evatt said it was now safe to disclose that the gossip of two men in a suburban train in oyaney regarding damaged ships (now fortunately again on service) was broadcast snorcly afterwards by Berlin radio, 'me two passengers nad named tne ships and disclosed that they were to be repaired in Sydney, 't he broadcast from Berlin, distorted for propaganda purposes, was that heaviiy-uamaged warships were being towed to Syaney, as they were unable to make the journey to an American base 300 u miles away.