Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1941. COPING WITH SEA RAIDERS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1941. COPING WITH SEA RAIDERS.

aecnuntx lately made public of the fate of both paKxengerx and crews on ships destroyed by German raiders in the Pacific have in a new way brought home the realities of the war to the people of this country and their kinsfolk in Australia. Women as well as men have been killed and injured in the attacks made by raiders on ships armed only for defence, but this no doubt must be accepted as a normal state ol atlairs in a war in which, under the standards set by the Axis Powers, infants in their cots are as little immune from murderous attack as fighting men on the battlefront. The only direct reply io sea raiding is in organising the best and most effective naval pursuit that resources will permit. Some facts have been brought out, however, which emphasise pointedly the necessity of supplementing naval action with other measures. In announcing that he would do his utmost to have the death penally carried out on anyone found co-operat ing with Nazi raiders in the Pacific, the Australian Minister for the X’avy (Mr Hughes) said:—• It seems evident that the raiders knew exactly where and at what times to look for their victims. As far as we are aware, we have effectively suppressed every unauthorised radio station in Australia. It is possible, however, that a neutral ship operating outside Australian waters is able to radio the movements of Australian and New Zealand ships to Hie raiders, and if this is so it may be difficult to detect the offender. Captain 11. Upton, of the Kangitane. one of the lost ships, Ims also spoken on this subject. He told tin interviewer in Sydney, as he is reported, that: — It does seem certain that the Pacific raiders have been getting and are getting effective intelligence from someone and maybe they are getting it by wireless from neutral vessels. The recent activities of raiders have been based on sound information. Mr Hughes has said that the matter demonstrates how very important it is for till people to keep strictly to themselves anything they may hear about shipping movements. Vital as this is, it of course’ does not go by any means far enough. It may be taken for granted that both our own Government and flint of Australia will go methodically into the question of doing everything that is practicable to prevent the transmission to raiders of news of shipping movements. The death penalty most certainly should be visited upon treason or espionage directed to betraying ships into tin l hands of raiders, but comprehensive action is needed also to reduce to a minimum the possible escape and spread of information. Something may be accomplisheil by unadvised changes of the route of ships, the use of sealed orders and other measures of a similar kind. The statements of die Australian Minister for the Xavy and Captain Upton make it manifest that an effective policy of eotmlerespioiinge in these Dominions for the protection of shipping is demanded imperatively.