Content note: Racial caricature of a red-faced Japanese officer. This object is shown as it was published. Why
'The enemy listens. Your words are his weapons.' (Australian careless-talk poster)
A red-faced, scowling caricature of a Japanese officer in a star-badged cap cups a hand to his ear above a map of Australia, with jagged radio flashes running from the map to his ear. 'YOUR WORDS ARE HIS WEAPONS' converts gossip into ammunition for a drawn enemy listener.
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Australian wartime national-security (careless talk) campaign; artist signing 'Biz'; donated for printing by J & W Ross
- Region
- Oceania
- Country
- Australia
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Curtin Government
- Leader
- John Curtin
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Event
- World War II
- Techniques
- Fear appealName-calling
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Australian War Memorial, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (AWM: 'Copyright expired - public domain'; Public Domain Mark)
'Biz' (artist), donated for printing by J & W Ross, Australia, c. 1939-45. Australian War Memorial, ARTV00045.
Text on the object
THE ENEMY LISTENS YOUR WORDS ARE HIS WEAPONS DONATED BY J & W ROSS IN THE INTERESTS OF NATIONAL SECURITY INT. 20 [roundel] IF YOU WISH TO HOLD AUSTRALIA HOLD YOUR TONGUE [signature: BIZ]
The roundel text and the artist's signature at upper right are small and read approximately. The caption bar 'AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL' and the accession number are the museum's.
