No Police Interest In Vietnam Book

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 1

No Police Interest In Vietnam Book

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 9.

A 14-page booklet alleging American war atrocities in Vietnam has been printed by the Committee on Vietnam, Wellington, and distributed to persons on its mailing list.

The booklet reprinted from an American magazine, “Liberation,” contains similar material to an Australian pamphlet which was recently ruled obscene by a Victorian magistrate. The New Zealand-published pamphlet has been distributed under the title of “The American Press on the War in Vietnam."

Compiled from reports of war correspondents in Vietnam, it is believed to be almost identical to the Australian pamphlet.

The police have shown no interest in the publication.

Assistant-Commissioner G. C. Urquhart said in Wellington today that it was up to the Indecent Publications Tribunal to judge whether the booklet was, in fact, indecent. Mr L. L. Meek, administration officer of the Customs Department, Wellington, said his department was only concerned with publications imported from overseas. An Auckland clergyman who received a copy of the pamphlet in the mail did not consider it an indecent publication, but he said he was sceptical of some of the reports.