ENEMY RAIDERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1941, Page 9

ENEMY RAIDERS

| LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION I MESSAGES GOING OUT DAILY. SE.-X CAPTAIN’S ALLEGATIONS. •By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. January 27. "From New Zealand and from Australia information is going out daily to enemy raiders which are lying around our coasts." This statement was made by Captain James If. Miller, master of the steamer Holmwood, which was sunk last November, when he described in an address to the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association his experiences as a prisoner on an enemy raider. "I have put it to our Government; that there is a leakage of information I from this country,” Captain Miller.! added. 'They have replied that it is! impossible. But it is not impossible;! I know it is happening, because I have, seen the results of it. The captain of; the raider I was on boasted that he knew the movements of every ship; leaving these shores, and even knew! the actual times that the vessels left; port.

"For instance, the German commander told the captain of the Rangitanc precisely the hour and minute at which he left Auckland on his last voyage, and also the exact time at which he hove anchor off Rangitoto Island the following morning. He actually greeted Captain Upton, of the Rangitane when he was brought on board after the sinking of his ship with (he words: ■’Hello. Captain Upton, you should get into trouble for not following the naval courses set for you on your way to New Zealand, but had you done so. I should have intercepted you.' "To this Captain Upton replied: ‘I am glad in that, case, for on the way out I was carrying a large number of passengers, including many evacuee children.' When he left New Zealand 1 Captain Upton was under instructions; to follow his naval courses directly. This he did, and his ship was sunk." j After the sinking of the Triona on I December 6, the German commander; told Captain Miller that he had a ship to sink that night and another one ' next morning. On the following morn- I ing they were approaching Nauru; Island and the commander said: “You i see that island on the starboard bow? ; That is your future homo, for I am; going to put you ashore there." At that moment a ship was reported by' one of the officers and the commander’ turned to Captain Miller and his com-, panions, "There you are. gentlemen,' , he said. "The Triadic is on time.’’-! This was just another example of the accurate information the raider possessed about all British shipping in the; South Pacific.

The observations made by Captain Miller on leakages of information were referred to later by Mr. W. R. Lascelles. who proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker for his interesting address. "I think we should all take the lesson from Captain Miller's observations." said Mr. Lascelles. "It is very disquieting to know what the Germans ! may be learning from our radio sta- j lions day by day. Does it not suggest that the wording of every advertisement Ibaving our broadcasting stations should be altered before it leaves the! transmitter'’

"There is need still more to stiffen the morale of our people. We know and we have been told repeatedly by competent observers in America that the next six months are going to be a period of great crisis. It appears that there will be intense activity on the part of the sea raiders operating in the South Pacific. They will be doing a great service to the enemy if they can prevent ships from carrying foodstuffs and supplies to Britain and can prevent many .Anzaes from being sent to i the battlefields.”