PUBLIC ENEMIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 86, 8 October 1940, Page 6

PUBLIC ENEMIES

The disclosure of a widespread organisation in Canterbury to induce men who have been called up for military service to refuse duty will add to the disquiet of the community over the existence, already known, of underground, disloyal activities in the Dominion. In this instance, according to a Press Association message from Christchurch, anonymous documents of duplicated typewritten matter of a treasonable character were delivered to addresses of the men called up, mostly by hand in Christchurch, but through the post elsewhere. There is no question of the intent and purport of these circulars; under the law and in effect they are treasonable, and have been characterised as such by the Mayor of Christchurch and by the Minister of National Service (Mr. Semple), who had no hesitation in proclaiming their authorship and dissemination as the work of a "fifth column" in New Zealand deserving the severest punishment. There might at one time, while peace endured, have been room for honest differences of opinion on questions of military service, but there is no room now for activities designed to disturb the public mind and cripple New Zealand's war effort. The authors and organisers of this underground movement, whoever they may be, are nothing more nor less than conspirators against the safety of the State, and public enemies, and should be treated as such. Ministers have expressed their concern and condemnation, but it is high time that action should be taken, without fear or favour or regard for persons, to eradicate a movement which, if it is allowed to grow unchecked, is capable of much injury to New Zealand's war effort and good name.