CENSORSHIP RESTRAINED

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24236, 19 April 1944, Page 3

CENSORSHIP RESTRAINED

] (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) dec. IP P- m -) SYDNEY, April 18. The material banned yesterday and on Sunday by the AusJan Commonwealth censorship authorities was to-day pubJed by the Sydney newspapers. The restraint on the censorship issued by the Full Court of he High Court of Australia has had the effect of lifting the ban this material, but the Court's order was only interlocutory, Jd comment on prosecutions launched by the Crown Solicitor sStl bjudice. World-wide interest has been aroused in the Sydney papers' ufejice of what they described in the articles banned as a pfljilical censorship.

uvdney's daily newspaper* published S to-dav. Both the "Daily TeleiS?' and the "Sydney Morning ' (Sid- this morning carried the matj j the publication of which was forfrfden yesterday. , During the course of yesterdays S hearing the Chief Justice (Sir Jn Latham), referring lo the matfwhich resulted in the. banmng o iterday's •Sydney Momma Ileiald. f have looked at the material I am aable to see anvlliinsj- i» n ot any line to the enemy." . Mr Justice Starke said: "I am unable .see anything in the article of value the enemv. If the regulation gives ip censor power to suppress anything . Sat displeases him it is a bad regulable final editions of the Melbourne ~'raid" and the Adelaide "News" , „ re suppressed yesterday after"non The editions were seized because C capers refused to delete a' certain .Ijge from a statement by the presient of the Australian Newspaper Prorietors' Association (Mr R. A. Hender- ' L) The same passage had been published by all tnree Melbourne morning lewspapers. The special meeting ot the Federal rjbjnet called for to-day was cancelled [nd will not be hold until the High 'ourt has delivered final judgment on he matters arising through the sup.ression of the Sydney newspapers. The Minister of the Army and Acting Prime Minister (Mr Forde), who originally called the Cabinet meeting, said Jat the present High Court order was .iterim only and it would be most improper to comment upon it or upon Ifertain pending prosecutions while the jjbse was still before the Court. |An article published by the "Tcleiraph" this morning was headed: HAbuse of''Censorship Exposed—Calftell's ban on Paper." A leading article ns headed: "Calwell Challenges Your 'reedom to Read, Think,, and Write." loth the article and the leading article id earlier been suppressed by the snsor. * . To-day's "Sydney Morning Herald" untained as an inset yesterday's issue ;.' the paper, which had been supcressed. This morning's issue carried a leading article headed: "The Tyranny '.& Censorship." Dispute Explained ■■ A brief explanation of the present iensorship dispute was given by toav's Sydney "Daily Telegraph." It said that last Friday the Minister t Information charged the chairman if the Australian Newspaper Proprietors' Association (Mr R. A. Henderson) with inaccuracy and untruthfulness. "j Henderson tried to reply by quothg a specific example of what he considered to be political censorship. The examples he quoted were censored. Saturday's "Daily Telegraph" was printed with blanks where certain of the censored material had been deleted. The "Sunday Telegraph" was then ordered to submit all .page proofs to ihe,' censor, who eliminated a second itatement by Mr Henderson and censored passages of the leading article. i When the "Sunday Telegraph" attempted to publish with blanks, Cominon wealth peace officers confiscated all fiditions. This resulted in all four ■Sydney newspapers, acting on legal adivice, attempting to present the case to Iheir readers. Explanatory articles and editorial j comment were censored and when the papers insisted on publishing censored matter, Commonwealth peace officers confiscated a large number of papers. I Following the granting of the Court's restraining order yesterday afternoon, the "Sun" and "Daily Mirror" distributed papers carrying the material which had been disputed. The same course was followed by to-day's "Sydney Morning Herald" and "Daily Telegraph." To-day's "Daily Telegraph" explains that publication of the article which resulted in the banning of yesterday's Sydney papers was agreed on by the papers after consulting counsel, who 1 advised them that its publication was | lawful and that the censor's action in ordering its suppression was not lawiul. The papers pointed out'that they had lo .means, except by publishing the article, of testing the legality of the censor's action. Prosecutions Launched The Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's office has launched 12 prosecutions against the "Daily Telegraph," {he "Sunday Telegraph.'" the "Sydney Morning Herald," and their executives, for alleged breaches of the Commonwealth Press and Broadcasting Censorship Order. The informations Will be heard on April 27. The Crown law authorities have announced that other prosecutions against the "Sun" and "Daily Mirror." Sydney's afternoon newspapers, are being considered. Yesterday's procession of about 2000 aydney university students, in protest "gainst the suppression of the newsPapers, culminated in the arrest of wee students. They were taken to a Po'ice station but released after two "ours of detention. ■■ A students' meeting decided, to print [ we censored newspaper material in the "«xt issue of their paper "Honi Soit." | was carried that "Honi Soit" would give voice to student opinion a na publish the matter under discus"°n without rcEard to lecal limits. In «?,?/ v , Gnt ,)f an - y finc 01 " Penally the students will bear the cost. PREFERENCE FOR ] WAR VETERANS AMERICAN MEASURE ,R ec 9 p. ~1.) WASHINGTON, April 17. ine. United Slates House of Reprelentativcs passed and sent to the Sen- ,' e . a bill giving war veterans and nen- w jv cs 0 r widows preference in m rnmont il,bs ;,n ° r the war - Mr Henry Ford has promised that var veterans will be given preference jnri u d Cnm ' vin . v Plants after the war. <na he h;, s expressed the hope that "'tier employers will dn likewise. In « teter to Brigadier-General Hmes, owl 01 ' "' R Fti'9'nine and Re-em-, Payment. Mr Ford safe! that service-! " e " deserved first call on war jobs oecause others hav e made a lot of "°ney out of this war and the servicemen have made nothing." Record Flijlil by New AircraßDort . ÜB ° " c " ,v 4lMon 1-uckhc-ed transin w I' 1 ' 11 ' 1 - l,1 «" Cwisit'llatioii. landed fomi hlnßlon ll ' om Biirbank. Cali,„r"'a' ■cslablisliiii" u trans-continental « o iiV oCol ' d of 41ii minutes. The Conflation was piloted by its cosigner. Mr Howard Hughes. It will into an army transport, •ton ~a t ' n '»s ; inH speed nf more than JJ" miles an hour.-Washington, April