THE WITHHOLDING OF INFORMATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 466, 26 March 1909, Page 6

THE WITHHOLDING OF INFORMATION.

(Special to Tiie Dominion.) Duncdin, Maroh 25. The "Star" says:—Wo are sorry that our congratulations to Lieut. Shacldeton and his much-enduring company on their safe return to civilisation, as well as on the splendid work which they have accomplished in Antarctic regions, must be qualified or at least accompanied by an emphatic expression of complaint. That New Zealand should liavo to secure its information concerning tho results of the expedition by means of cablegrams from London would ljo amusing if it wero not extremely vexatious. We cannot admit that thcro was any reasonable ground for continuing to withhold a knowledge of the facts from tlio people of Australasia after tho engagement with the "Daily Mail" had been fulfilled, or for obliguig newspapers at this end of the world—where tho Nimrod had actually arrived—to depend upon round-about intelligence from London. , The complaint gains force when it is remembered that the Now Zealand and the Commonwealth Governments contributed substantially to tho cost of tho expedition. Treatment of moro gracious kind might have been expected. A COMMONWEALTH COMPLAINT. Melbourne, March 25. Tlio Minister for External Affairs (Mr. Batchelor) is surprised that Lieutenant Shackleton sent him no report regarding his explorations, seeing that tho Commonwealth Government subscribed £5000. "Whatever his contracts with tho nowspapors, Mr. Shackleton must," said Mr. Batchelor, "recognise somo obligations to the Commonwealth."