The Public and Foreign Affaire.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18926, 15 February 1927, Page 8

The Public and Foreign Affaire.

The most interesting passage in the Prime Minister's speech yesterday occurred in his reference to foreign affairs. After pointing out that there had been the "freest and most valu- " able consultations " with the Imperial authorities on the subjeot of defence, and saying that the units of the Empire would have.to draw closer together in these matters, Mr Coates made the highly important announcement that he hoped 'to make arrangements soon for "keeping the Press and the public "more fully in touch with foreign "affairs and the larger aspects of "political and Imperial life." A " hope" of this kind which did not involve " arrangements" would not be very important, but the case is different with proposals brought back from an Imperial Conference and announced in a considered speech. Besides, Governments have much to gain nowadays by taking the Press and the public more fully into their confidence, and they run almost no risk at all of losing anything.* In the technical fields of foreign affairs secrecy must still be observed* but Mr Cdates has not come back, like a messenger from Geneva or Versailles, waving a banner in* scribed "No more secret diplomacy." We have no diplomats in New Zealand, and do not at this stage particularly want-any, but we do want more knowledge of the "larger aspects of politi"col and Imperial life." Wo want also, and require, a great deal more information than has so far been supplied about foreign affairs, though we do not ask for it in order that we may begin cutting an international figure on our own account. Now Zealand's influence in foreign affairs is real, and will increase, but t hor best and safest and most rffeotive way of making it felt is by taking a more intelligent interest in the foreign policies of the Empire as a whole. It is necessary also to point out so far as the Press is concerned that Governments can help it only up to an official point. The newspapers of New Zealand suffer, like the Government and the people of New Zealand, from romotcneM from , the pUfr Jn which- &• world's-bil^st

' events still happen, but they suffer also from a useless official ban on information which has actually come to the Dominion, and may or may not be known to them, but may not be used. We do tiot wish to repeat any of the platitudinous, qr actually ignorant or insincere stuff which demagogues are always shouting .->ut about "' trusting " the people.*' But it is necessary to go with such persons so far as to say that it U exceedingly dangerous not to trust the pi/oplr '.villi information that will be given in them in garbled form if it is not supplied promptly and liiily as it stand.-. T!." m.-w.-papers will go on supplyin? the information they possess, and commenting on it without ivi'errmr to Governments or the official attitude: but it will be very hflpt'i:! if ;hey are -tipplii'd more j)romptly with informaiioi: whirii the (lovernment itf tlii- <<i ihiu<rs must get lir-r, but which all Government- iiio often fiirgei tliev receive only in their reprcsentalive rapacily.