GERMANS' WIRELESS LIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

GERMANS' WIRELESS LIES.

PRINTED ON SHIPBOARD. PROTEST BY PASSENGERS. "It is 'ibout time that the Federal Government did something to protect Australians travelling by American steamers carrying Australian and English mails from German false wireless news services when crossing the Pacific," an Australian who arrived at Sydney by the Ventura the other day. "The feelings of all true Britishers aboard were burrowed by the stories of alleged British reverses and German successes which were printed in the ship's wireless newspaper. One morning was particularly trying. We were told that the Germans ivere storming through Serbia. The Bulgarians had cut tiie JCish. Salonika railway. Greece lidd turned on the Entente and gone over to the Central Powers. Constantinople was open to the Germans. The Allies Were in desperate straits everywhere. Stiez was a few days' march for the Kaiser's legions, and our Empire was stricken unto death. Almost every day there were German triumphs and British humiliations. "A most benevolent neutrality was displayed towards German items 'of news, and a most grudging neutrality marked the handling of news about tho Allies. Now Australia supplies moro than half the passengers and fully half tlic cargo carried bv these steamers, aim the Commonwealth Government. should protect their citizens on the high' seal against sueh annoyance.

"More: the Government should keep a very sharp eye on these vessels. Gorman activities are a perpetual danger t# the Commonwealth. On a recent voyajo two men approached Captain Dawson, ot the Ventura, and asked him to take some letters to San Francisco for thyu and post them there. They put a £io note down beside the letters to pay for the illicit service. But Captain Dawson sent them about their- business. They were not Germans, either," he said, when relating the incident. 'They were Brit'shers. Some men will do anything for money.' "Again, Germans still manage to sneak out of Sydney. 'When the Ventura recently sailed a young man came aboard,' said Captain Dawson, 'took olf his coat, grabbed a mop and bucket and commenced to swab down the lower deck. Military inspectors went all through the steamer looking for suspects, and they actually rubbed shoulders with this young fellow. Never gave him a thought. We only discovered him when we were well out to sji. \V<; got him a job as a stereotyper in Honolulu.' The wily Teuton can therefore still creep through the Federal net. Tho moral seems to be that the steamers need a little more attention than they have received from our authorities."