GRAVE ANXIETY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 237, 7 October 1942, Page 4

GRAVE ANXIETY

CENSORSHIP RULES

EXTENSION IN NEW ZEALAND

A statement has been issued by the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors' Association as follows: —

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 security of the naval, air and military forces.

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 three years of war has shown that the free expression of public opinion is stifled by prohibitions which appear to be either dictated by political expediency or issued as a cloak 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 Newspaper Proprietors' Association 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. Should Not Stifle Criticism Censorship is necessary in wartime. It. is concerned with withholding from the enemy any facts which 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 criticism that has as its object an intensification of the war effort and the awakening of the public to the dangers that confront the nation.

The people ough.t 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.

Rights of True Expression

Censorship in New Zealand has meant a steady accumulation of restrictions on news of such matters as sabotage of production, shortcomings in 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 of 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. Hon. W. M. Hughes, Prime Minister of Australia in the last war realising this steady infiltration of totalitarian ideas, had this to say recently:—"Victory in this people's war depends upon the public being kept as well informed as safety periH*- 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." Inefficiency Protected The Newspaper Proprietors" Association was unanimously of the opinion that unwarrantable encroachments of censorship are protecting inefficiency and hampering the war effort. The 1.. --papers, with the tradition of freedi. i 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 us in our own country.

The Newspaper Proprietors' Association summarises it;: opinions in ?. /'mi? wln , g rec, °i' ! ' in 'i p iidations:— (1) That the reaso:i f<>y censorship is security, and there h.ust be visi" lance to guard against its Incoming a cloak for remediable politic u or service weaknesses. (2) That public morale is most endangered if there is a suspicion that facts are being concealed. §ound morale can only be built up by telling he public the truth and enlistinl their co-operation. " e ins,ea<l of censoring news t f'mmoditv shortaees industrial disputes and so on the policy should be to inform the publie fully thereby creating a strong popular opinion for good soe ial strucTi^feeas 0 -° PCration and con "

Tliat in instructions to newsf P -.'.Tr seneral prohibitions be difttontinned cind a specific numn-o indicated.. General proMb Uons C , X n"', sc ? pe of censorship from a particu ar incident, and mainta n his p£&d."° n after lho fo? U