BRITISH CENSORSHIP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 41, 28 November 1940, Page 5

BRITISH CENSORSHIP.

“DEFEATING OWN PURPOSE.”

AMERICAN CRITICISM.

LONDON, November 26

Criticism of the British censorship, which/ has ; not been heard; for many months, is increasingly evident in the United States neAvspapers. [The chief of the London bureau of the "NeAV York. Times,” repotting: the air raids of November 23, said: ' ’".lt is doubtful Avhether:. they did as much damage to the British caiise as the censorship, noAvin the full bloom of the silly season. Things have reached such a pass that British newspapers are printing German communiques to make a pretence of telling their readers Avhat is going on in England. "It is defeating its owii puA-pose, becaxise in trying to fool the enemy it is only fooling Britain’s best friends. Britain Avants greater supplies, from the United States. The best hope of obtaining them is to let the United States knoAv the extremity of her need. But the censorship refuses. It is becoming ominously as oppressive as France’s before her collapse.”

The correspondent of the Associated Press of America (Dr Drew Middleton), writing from London, says: "The British capacity for understatement is working overtime, partly through patriotism and partly through propaganda. Complacency, distortion and reluctance to admit the truth are perhaps as dangerous to the British cause as the nightly bombings. "German night raiders have dropped tens of thousands of tons of bombs. Yet one is asked to believe that there is no damage to military objectives. "Are the bombers that hit Buckingham Palace unable to hit sprawling factories in the Midlands? Believe it, if you can. The Germans have killed thousands of civilians without damaging morale. They have damaged shipping and railroads without demoralising the Avar effort. "Londoners are cheerful and stubborn, but tired of shelter conditions, Avhieh are still an’ abominable menace to health, and more, dangerous potentially than the Nazi bombs. In other cities the people are less 1 cheerful and grumble that London is more greatly protected. They say that propaganda AA’hich says that Loiidoh is unhurt is causing the: Nazis to change their strategy and hammer Coventry, Liverpool, Birmingham and Southampton. "The people are more ready to face the brutal truth" than the neAvspapers or the British Broadcasting Corporation.”

The Associated Pre^s j; of ,America, commenting on the dispatch, sayS*it is. significant because it. has passed the censorship, which until uoav has froAvned on such statements. It may mean that tfie British have changed, their attitude and believe that a.dark picture of danger will arouse more sympathy in the United States than the confident optimism displayed hitherto.