Authors show anger
NZPA-AP New York Shouts from authors twice interrupted the American Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, yesterday as he told an international conference of writers that the Administration of President Ronald Reagan was “on your side” regarding freedom of expression. “I am proud to represent an administration that more than any other in this century has resisted the intrusion of Government into the lives of its citizens,” said Mr Shultz while addressing the forty-eighth international PEN congress. "No person has ever been
denied admission to the United States for his or her beliefs,” Mr Shultz said. He finished the address saying “don't be so surprised by the fact that Ronald Reagan and I are on your side.” The president of the PEN American Centre, Mr Norman Mailer, criticised the audience and said they were denying Mr Shultz the same right of freedom of speech that they wanted. “I would like to apologise personally to him for the silly, bad feelings evidenced tonight,” Mr Mailer said.
A group of 66 PEN members signed a letter con-
demning the secretary’s appearance.
“The Administration you represent has done nothing to further freedom of expression, whether at home or abroad,” the letter said. “ ... Your Administration supports Governments that silence, imprison, even torture their citizens for their beliefs. “For this reason, it is particularly distressing that a congress whose theme is ‘The writer’s imagination and the imagination of the state,’ should begin by compromising that independence,” the letter ended.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860114.2.70.4
Bibliographic details
Press, 14 January 1986, Page 6
Word Count
247Authors show anger Press, 14 January 1986, Page 6
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.