LATE RELEASE OF NEWS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23085, 30 July 1940, Page 7

LATE RELEASE OF NEWS

Attack on Ministry Of Information DELAYS IN CASE OF LANCASTRIA (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received July 29, 10 p.m.) t . LONDON. July 29. The “Dally Mail” in a leading 1 article says: “The official delay in releasing the news of the loss of the British liner Lancastria (16,243 tons) has very badly affected pub--5 lie opinion. It seems an outstanding example of the stupidity of i some official mind. •‘The Lancastria. was sunk on June 17. Within a few days of the 1 disaster hundreds of thousands of British people knew it was true, because they heard stories from a the survivors. The losses were : exaggerated as the talc spread, but f it was not until July 24 that the 1 news was first published In New ’ York, after which the Ministry of Information permitted the British 1 newspapers to circulate news 2 which they had known for five s weeks. “The service departments -Were s doubtless primarily responsible ; for the delay, but It was the business of the Ministry of Informa- ; tion to urge in the national in--2 terests the earliest release of good C or bad news. 1 “The Ministry essays many roles t —sometimes the nosey parker, ) sometimes the benevolent uncle, sometimes the schoolmaster, but t rarely is it a source of worthwhile 2 Information.” i 3 The Director-General of the Ministry 1 of Information (the Earl of Perth), who 3 resigned, made a statement to the 3 “Daily Mail” in which he said: “I resigned because I consider the departi merit for which I was working is re- - dundant. Therefore my position is un- - justified or, if it is justified, insufficii ent use has been made of my services, s I have no quarrel with Mr Duff ir Cooper.” 3 ' DUTCH QUEEN’S * BROADCAST “UNSHAKEABLE UNITY OF EMPIRE” (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, July 28. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, broadcasting in the new Dutch programme inaugurated by the British Broadcasting Corporation to-day, said: “Just as in the earlier days, neither force of arms, nor flags of state, nor [ impoverishment and suffering, have . ever succeeded in exterminating our 1 love of liberty and our freedom of ■ conscience and religion, so I remain ; convinced that once again we, and all 1 those, of whatever nation, who think ' like us, shall emerge from this ordeal ' strengthened and chastened through 1 our sacred sufferings. 1 “Even though the enemy has occu- ’ pied our native soil, the Netherlands will carry on the war till the morrow . of a free and happy future dawns for , us. Our beloved flag flies proudly on the seas and in the great Netherlands ! in the East and West. Side by side i with our Allies, our gallant men coni tinue the struggle.” The overseas empire, Queen Wilhelmina said, had never been more closely attached to the mother country, and with unshakeable unity it intended to vindicate the freedom and independence of all the Netherlands territories. “I call on my compatriots at home and wherever they be, however dark and difficult the times may be, to keep faith in the final victory of our cause—a cause which is strong not only because it is served by strength in battle, but also because of our profound belief that our most sacred values are at stake.” AWARD FOR COAL MINERS COURT REGULATION IN NEW SOUTH WALES (Received July 29, 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 29. Under an award delivered to-day to cover the coalmining industry, hours will remain at 40 a week for all underground workers. The hours of all others are 88 a fortnight. The wages of engine-drivers in New South Wales will be increased by 7s a week. The award prescribes a five-day week, but on one Saturday in each fortnight employees will be required to work for six hours. * The award sets up a network of conciliation committees with wide powers and with directions that stoppages of work shall not occur. N.Z. POTATOES SOLD IN SYDNEY (Received July 30, 12.30 a.m.) 1 SYDNEY, July 29. i The first shipment of* New Zealand < potatoes since the lifting of the Com- ) monwealth’s bah on their importation ] was marketed in Sydney to-day at ( the officially-fixed price of £ll a i ton, which is the same as for Tas-j i maniah whiteskiris. No difficulty is j anticipated in disposing of New Zea- , land’s consignment. . ' ! ——— ( France Resents Feaflet Raids—The Vichy correspondent of the Associ- \ ated Press of Great Britain states ■ that the Retain Government has pro- ‘ tested energetically to Britain against £ the leaflet air raids on unoccupied France. —London, July 29; 1 ■■ - ■— : i (