GRAVE ANXIETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 305, 7 October 1942, Page 2

GRAVE ANXIETY.

THE CENSORSHIP OF NEWS. THE DANGER OF EXTENSION. The following statement on the censorship has been issued by the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors’ Association : “Grave anxiety was expressed at. the half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors’ Association in Wellington at the rapid extension in New Zealand of censorship restrictions upon the publication of facts and comment which have no relation to the fundamental purpose of censorship, the security of our naval, air and military forces. v “ All regulations designed to ensure the safety of these forces have been accepted by newspapers in a spirit of willing co-operation, but the experience of thi-ee years of war has shown that the free expression of public opinion is stifled hy prohibitions which appear to be either dictated by political expediency or issued as a. cloak for for remediable weaknesses in the services and departments. It is impossible to quote specific instances of these prohibitions, since all are marked confidential and therefore not publishable,- and also since publication of details of these instructions is in itself a breach of the censorship. It is, however, the unanimous' opinion of the N.P.A. that the public should be made aware of the general effect of the maze of instructions, many of which have no relation to the security of the nation.

“ Censorship is necessary in war time. It is concerned, with with-hold-ing from the enemy any fftets that may be of use to his conduct of the war or serve to hearten his people in the belief that the morale of the nations against whom, they are waging hostilities is waning. But censorship can accomplish no greater disservice than to stifle criticsm that has as its object an intensification of the War effort and the awakening of the public to the dangers that confront the nation. Knowledge and Criticism. “The people ought to be told all they- can be told about what is being done to equip' the nation for the trials confronting it. Only by the fullest possible knowledge and the freest criticism of all phases of the war can we hope to achieve that combination of effort that will mean that New Zealand is actually doing its best. This means .that there should be free criticism of management of the war in all aspects of organisation, administration and training of the armed forces, and of any failure of those not in the forces to render appropriate service. “Censorship in New Zealand has meant a steady accumulation of restrictions on news of such matters as sabotage of production, shortcomings rn the control of the necessaries of life, administrative mistakes, extravagances, that even war cannot condone, and a number of minor but by no means unimportant matters that have their intimate bearing on the war.

“Not all of these have to do with military and’naval security or information to the enemy. Our people are being steadily stripped cf the rights of free expression and criticism. Unless this development- is corrected, criticism of weaknesses and ineptitude in public policy and administration will be stifled. The Rt. Hori. "W. M. Hughes ('Prime Minister of Australia in tho last war)'realising this steady infiltration. of totalitarian ideas, had this to say recently: ‘Victory in this people’s wlar depends upon the public being kept as well informed as safety permits through normal channels of publicity—primarily the Press. The maintenance of a well-informed public opinion must depend on. the continuance of a. free. Press, which is not subject to coercion in its publication of facts.’ Recommendations to Government.

‘‘The N.P.A. was unanimously of the opinion that unwarrantable encroachments of censorship are protecting inefficiency and hampering the war effort. The newspapers with tho tradition of freedom inherited from our people require the support of all, and especially of those who have sons and husbands engaged in a, war of freedom, in combating a danger that threatens ns in our own; country.”

The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association summarises its opinions in the following recommendations: — (1) That'the reason for censorship is security, and there must be vigilance to guard, against its becoming a' cloak for remediable political or service weaknesses.

(2) That public morale is most endangered if there is a. suspicion) that facts are being concealed. Sound morale can only be built up by telling the public the truth and enlisting their co-operation.

(3) That instead of censoring news regarding commodity shortages, industrial disputes, and so on, the policy should be to inform the public fully, thereby creating a strong popular opinion, for good social citizenship, cooperation and constructive ideas, (4) That in instructions to, newspapers general prohibitions be discontinued and a specific purpose indicated. General prohibitions extend the scope of censorship from a. particular incident, and maintain the prohibition after the need for it has passed, i