SPIES SUSPECTED

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 257, 29 July 1942, Page 6

SPIES SUSPECTED

Anti-Britishers’ Aid In Australia ? U-BOAT LANDINGS? (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 27. The Commonwealth Government has / almost positive evidence that a formidr able enemy spy-ring, assisted by local . anti-British elements, is operating in Australia. It is considered likely that the number of enemy agents could have been reinforced by landings on the ■ coast from Japanese submarines. The Australian authorities are graveI ly concerned by. an apparent leakage to the enemy in recent months of close- - ly-guarded military secrets. Evidence ■ possessed by Federal ofiicials suggests that Japan has spies here who move in highly-respected social and business circles and pick up information which should lie kept secret. There are some grounds for the theory that recent instructions' to spies in this country have been brought ashore from a submarine. The public have been warned to .be on guard against sabotage. Measures have been taken to strengthen the guards at war establishments, munitions factories and centres of communication. Decent experience in America has underlined the Axis method of introducing enemy agents to the country by submarine. The long stretches of unguarded coastline make this a grave danger to Australia. During the last session of the Federal Parliament the Minister of the Navy and Munitions, Mr. Makin, gave an assurance that the authorities were investigating the possibility of crews of enemy submarines having been in contact with enemy agents in Australia. The intelligence branch is making strong efforts to uncover fifth column activity, which is known to be rampant here. ' UNSUCCESSFUL MOVE FOR FREEDOM “Australia First” Leader (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.). (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 28. The former president of the Australia First Movement, Percy Reginald Stephenson, today tried vainly to get his freedom. The State Full Court rejected his application for release from the internment camp in which he has been held since March 10. Stephenson denied that he had ever been connected with the plot to assassinate Australian public men, carry out sabotage, or assist the armed forces of Japan. He said that the Prime Minister, Mr. Cprtin, had promised a public trial for certain members of the Australia First Movement, including himself, but that promise had uot been kept. He would welcome such a trial, even if it were on the capital charge of treason. Stephenson was interned in company with 15 other Australian-born men, including his two co-proprietors of "The Publicist” newspaper and others associated with the Australia First Movement. The only reasons given for his 1 internment, Stephenson said, were to be found in a speech by the Minister of 1 the Army,'Mr. Forde, in Parliament on March 26, in which he declared that the Australia First Movement was a treasonable conspiracy to help the Japanese armed forces in the event of an invasion. ' Such statements could not be supported by evidence so far as he was. ' concerned, declared Stephenson, , The Chief Justice, Sir Frederick , Jordan, in refusing Stephensonls ap- : plication, said the Minister .for the ■ Army had power to order any person ! to lie detained in such place and under ( such conditions as he might deem'advisable in order to prevent that person i from acting in a way prejudicial to | the safety of the Commonwealth. 1