AN INDEFENSIBLE ACT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 4

AN INDEFENSIBLE ACT

HOLDING BACK THE ARMISTICE NEWS. The action of the authorities in keeping back the news'of the armistice is subjected to the following adverse comments in the "Otago Daily Times" of Friday last:—"The Government has not thought fit to offer any explanation iu reply to the Uemaud mads by our contemporary, The Dominion, several days ago for a statement whether the transmission of the news that an armistice had been signed between the Allies'and Germany was or was not Departnicntally delayed. The facts which are to be ascertained from the Australian papers render it imperative that an explanation should be furnished upon this point.'.!. . The news was actually circulated throughout Australia, where no such nonsense was attempted as that of which the authorities in New Zealand must been guilty, shortly after 7 o'clock on that evening. The presumption is that, upon the plea that it was undesirable that the' termination of the hostilities should be announced until an official notification on the subject had been received and with the view that the head of the Government might himself enjoy such kudos as might be attachable' to the circulation of the glnd news, the Press messages conveying the information were held back. It would be difficult as a matter of fact, to believe that the'official notification respecting the signing of the armistice did not reach New Zealand until ten or eleven hours after the time at which, in the absence of any official interference, the newspapers might have received the news. But we <lo not credit anything so improbable as this. The fact that the Governor-General of Australia was in possession at 10.20 p.m. of November 11 of the official intimation, transmitted .as a ""most urgent" message, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor-General, makes it clear to us that the Government in New Zealand became aware during that same night of the signing of the armistice, and that, for this reason, every shred of excuse for withholding the Priss messages from the newspaners of the Dominion absolutely vanished. It is perfectly obvious, therefore, that an unwarrantable interdict must have been placed upon Hip delivery to the Press of messages of supreme importance, the. publication, of which, was being awaited % the community with intense anxiety. In the circumstance's, we arc impelled to say that whoever was responsible for it— whether it was the Prime Minister or the Commissioner of Telegraphs or the •Minister of Defence. a« the Minister nremimnbly charged with the administration of the' censorshiD—committed a highly improper and highly indefensible act. the effect Of which was. to cause a public confusion and dislocation of business on the following day that might have been completely avoided.