CONTROL OPPOSED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 172, 22 July 1940, Page 7

CONTROL OPPOSED

POSITION OF PRESS. Director Dissociates Himself From Paper's Views. AUSTRALIAN CONTROVERSY. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received nocn.j MELBOURNE, this day. Mr. Theodore Fink, chairman oi directors of the "Melbourne Herald' and the "Weekly Times," Limited (proprietors of the "Melbourne Herald" and a number of other newspapers) has issued a statement dissociating himself from the views expressed in these publications in favour of the Commonwealth regulations for the control of the Press.

Mr. Fink, who made his statement at chairman of the Australian section of the Empire Press Union, said: "I desire to associate myself with the view* of leading Australian newspapers, expressing their hostility towards the censorship and control in the proposed new regulations as an infringement of {the rights and liberties of the public, aac I wish to dissociate myself from th« views expressed in publications of th* 'Herald' and the 'Weekly Times' in fav. our of the regulations."

The Sunday papers give prominenc* to the strained relations between the Postmaster-General, Mj\ H. V. Thorby, and the Prime Minister, Sir. R. G. Menzies, over the recent Press control controversy. The Prime Minister sent for Mr. Thorby on Saturday, and it is reported that some plain speaking was indulged in. Later, Mr. Thorby made a statement to the effect that there was no justification for the Press inference that he w„* prepared to attack the Ministry or that he would deal direct with the Governor-General if any attempt was made to dislodge him from the CabinetMr. Thorby concluded by saying: "1 | fully recognise and respect the autho--1 ritv of the Prime Minister.''