CAMPAIGN AGAINST TALKING
Sir,—What is the use of posters, newspaper and radio exhortations, etc;, addressed to the common people when our Cabinet Ministers set such a poor example. I instance two only of many . recent lapses, which might easily have far-reaching effects. First, the openair discussion by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence, and the Chief of the General Staff with a captain of the Tank Corps in a Wellington street v on the merits of the Valentine tanks while the public stopped, looked, and listened. This was depicted by a photograph in your issue of. October 22. A more blatant blunder was the. "tell the world" broadcast very recently by another Cabinet Minister*; who outlined in detail how, when, and where essential war material for Britain's forces in different parts of the battle zones was to be manufactured in this country. Knowing all this, what is to prevent, in certain circumstances, those very essentials being either sabotaged or otherwise prevented from being de- ; livered, and so immobilising a great section of pur forces' equipment.— Yours, etc., 1 , HOME GUARD. Methven, November 5, 1941.
Sir,—The letter in "The Press" of November 5, drawing attention to the way that Ministers publish. information which the public considers should not be' published is very timely, and it is high time someone "told off" tha powers that be for what I consider in*. discreet utterances. Not long ago we; had a Minister telling the public that silki stockings would be very short: and everyone knows what the result of this was. ;^> I appeal to the Prime Minister to v -> put some of his colleagues on the mat, and give them a lecture on common* sense war methods. 'I sincerely hope that this last "fuse outburst" will be the last of these, very indiscreet public utterances.—Yours, etc., .303. November 5, 1941. [The Prime "Minister, the Rt. Hon. . P. Fraser, commenting on the reference to himself and the Chief of Staff, describes it as "simply silly," since "nothing that is not already known to the enemy was discussed." This comment Mr Fraser would extend to the. subject matter of both letters generally.]
CAMPAIGN AGAINST TALKING
Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23494, 24 November 1941, Page 8
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