The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 1937. "A PURE MISTAKE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 259, 1 November 1937, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 1937. " A PURE MISTAKE."

For the cause that tacks assistance. For thr urrony that nerds resit,tanc4, Fur the future in the <l>ntan<e, Anil the good that we ran do.

The nervousness of (ho broadcasting iinlliorities nlioiit "controversial" mutter leads In some si range situations. Recently there was hronilcnsl I'nim 2VA, Wellington, u sermon in St. (leiiiiil's Roman Catholic Church. It was a t'lill-lilonded nttnek on Communism, well reasoned nrid supported by a formidable recital of facts and figures. Last week, in response to "a protest made by Communist organisations and at least one trade union," the Director of Broadcasting, Professor .]. Shelley, announced that the broadcast was "a pure mistake," ami that such an attack would ma again be made per medium of the microphone. He added that it was the understood practice laid down for I lie chinch committees that controversial matters should be avoided in sermons. I So the broadcasting in this democratic country of a sermon containing an attack on Communism is ".. pure mistake"! Judged by tli" rile or practic • of avoiding ''controversial" matters, it was a mistake, but what a curious light is thrown upon the rule. A preacher who knows that his sermon is to be "on the air" naturally wishes to choose a subject which will onsuro him the attention of the greatest possible number of listeners, among I members both of his own and of other denominations, and also among the people who never go near a church. Communism is just such a subject. No one even slightly informed of the fate of religious organisations in Communist Russia, or of the savage assaults made upon them in other countries ■whore Communist influence has become paramount, or of the ceaseless efforts to spread Communist doctrines in democratic countries, can doubt that the subject is one of grave interest to all churches everywhere, and to the public at large. Yet in this country a Government strongly antagonistic to Communism thinks itself obliged to say, through its chief broadcasting official, that it was "a pure mistake" to give radio publicity to an attack on Communism from the pulpit. The Government can say truly that in this matter it is consistent. Since it became the Government its dislike of "controversial" matter has grown steadily. Upon taking control of station IZM it stopped the broadcasts which had been made regularly on behalf of the Presbyterian Church and the BritishIsrael Federation. But whence is this policy leading? In spite of anything the Government may think, the listeners' intellectual curiosity is hot wholly satisfied by hearing the broadcasts from Parliament House. Listeners are interested in "controversial" matters, and they should be. If given the opportunity of hearing both sides of a question they are capable of forming their own opinions. They should be given that opportunity more freely. The alternative is to make "radio opinions" so "safe" that no protests will ever be heard against them, because no mind will ever be stirred by them.