WANTED: UNGENSORED NEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 84, 10 April 1945, Page 4

WANTED: UNGENSORED NEWS

THE report of a sinister happening in Poland—the disappearance of Polish leaders who had responded to an invitation to meet a Soviet general "to discuss the emergence from secrecy of Polish political part.es"—comes from the Polish Government in London, which some will describe as a prejudiced source. Undoubtedly it has political ends to serve. But what other source is there? There is only one other—the Soviet, which also has political ends to serve, and which controls all 'means of communication other than the "underground," which throughout the war has kept the Polish Government in London informed. Poland's situation, and that of other countries from which the Germans have been driven by the Soviet armies, is in sharp contrast with the situation of Italy, France, Belgium and Greece, in which the liberating forces have been British or American. In the latter, democratic liberties have been restored in so far as military conditions permit. Most important of all at this time, foreign Press correspondents are admitted, and they describe what they see. There is no similar liberty for foreign Press correspondents in any country in which the Soviet authority is paramount. Correspondents do not describe for us the conditions in the Baltic States, or in Poland, or in Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary, because they are not welcome in those countries. It may be said that this difference reflects the general contrast between the democratic and the Soviet systems of government, and this is true, but it has to be remembered that the Soviet, in its reference to countries from which its armies have driven the Germans, makes liberal use of such words as "freedom," "democracy" and "independence," implying that these boons have been, or are to be, restored. The fact that, in practice, freedom of communication is not restored is, and will continue to be, the source of suspicion and misunderstanding." It is doubtful if any greater contribution could be made to Allied solidarity than would be made if the Soviet permitted the entry and unrestricted activity, in the countries it has occupied, of British and American correspondents. Some of their reports might be laudatory, some condemnatory, but from them all would emerge at least an outline of the truth. It is badly needed.