PRESS & POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 62, 13 March 1918, Page 5

PRESS & POLITICS

» •'" • . . ■ ■ i LLdti) GEORGE IN DEFENCE JUSTIPJES OWNERSHIP OF VALUE OF EFFECTIVE PROPA- : .GANDA.: ; (OmTED PMB'3 yISBOCIATIOH.-^COPTRiaHT.j CBEUTEII'S itIiEORAM.) LONDON, 11th March. | In the House of Commons, replying tS .Mr. A. Charhb'erlain, the Pi'emiei', Mr. Lloyd Georgei disagreed with the contention that owners and directors' of news--1 papers should not hold Ministerial offices. Lord Northcliffe held no Ministerial office, while. Lord Rothermere and Lord. Beaverbrook gave up all direction of their papers as soon,- as they were appointed Ministers. Lord ftoiherme'r'e had already reorganised an important Department of the War Office. His administration, of that Department was an unqualified success. Lord BeaVerbfook had organised Canadian propagandaj which was most successful. \Th6 Premier emphasised the importance of prppagarida, the enemy had used witlif<leadly effect in Russia and Italy. Lord Northcliffe had made a special study of conditions in the enemy countries. No man better qualified to-direct propaganda in the enemy countries cbula be found ail the British Empire. The Government propaganda in all the other' Allied countries and in Germany was conducted almost exclueively by experienced newspaper men, added the Premier, and despite the inevitable pre; judices tho (aovernment apprehended might be .excited, they concluded they must 'follow that. example, ac the only means of securing an effective presents^ tion of the Allied cause. Sis one object in this, as in other Government appointments, was to. secure the men best qualified to do the work efficiently. He reiterated that he was in nowise responsi-. We for the attacks on admirals and generals. It. had.been suggested that a member of his staff had inspired euch attacks. He had thoroughly investigated the matter, and unhesitatingly declared th>B the imputation Was Utterly unfounded and Unjust. Mr. Chamberlain said the principles laid down by Mr. Lloyd George were satisfactory, but there was too much , coincidence, between newspaper, attacks on Government servants and removals of the, latter. He regretted that the Premier had not made a clean-cut statement, and swept- forever the atmosphere of suspicion and intrigue. Mr. Asquith deplored organised Press campaigns in \?ar time against »oldiers and sailors, the first of which was against the late Lord Kitchener, which Mr. Asquith felt niost keenly, and consequently advised the King to beitow the Order of the Garter on Lord Kitchener at the earlist opportunity, and His Majesty did so; It "-was of the utmostimportance that the Government should be free from suspicion of direct association with the operations of the Press, therefore he advocated that the Propa.ganda Department should be absolutely ■water-tight, without any influence on the policy of the Government. Mr. Lloyd George, in winding up the debate, accepted the fundamental principles laid down by Mr. Asquith. He said that after his explanation there had.been no real challenge of the action of the Government. He concluded with a tribute to Lord Northcliffe from the standpoint of the news organisation as a man of genius and one of the greatest news organisers of the world.