APPEAL AGAINST CENSORSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 96, 23 April 1921, Page 9

APPEAL AGAINST CENSORSHIP

FREEDOM OF OPINION

NO ADVOCACY OF VIOLENT

METHODS.

Below ane copies of two letters—one from Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., protesting against the censorship of literature and a recant sentence imposed under the law, and the reply of Sir Francis Bell, Acting-Prime Minister and AttorneyGeneral. The Minister sets »out clearly the position of the Government in regard to freedom of opinion and expression, and his statement is of considerable public interest. :—

"The Hon. Sir Francis Bell, Attorney-General, Wellington,.

"Dear Sir, —I have just learned that Brieux's great dirama, 'Damaged Goods,' is being held up by the New Zealand authorities, and refused circulation within the Dominion. Brieux's work is of the widest scientific an.d social value, and has' been long since staged throughout this oountry.

"I also desire to draw your attftnitiom to the sentence of three months' hard' labour imposed yesterday on- a member of the Wellington Socialist Party, for having allegedly sold copies of "The Communist Programme and other pamphlets at a recent meeting. It is not necessary to agree with all that a book contains when one insists that there can; beno intellectual progress unless men are permitted to read— tind thus to know— every viewpoint. I have read 'The Communist Programme,' and the other pamphlets,. and while I do' not endorse the attitude of some of the writers with respect to tactics; I sa-y most emphatically that the first-named pamphlet does contain a most valuable presentation of the case for constructive industriaffi&nV. This portion of the pamphlet does not appear to have been mentioned ' during the hearing of the case; and I do not think the prosecution is to be complimented on its method of stripping away the context from certain passages, and using the mutilated passages as evidence. "While urging the release of the imprisoned man, Mr. Johnstone, there is one aspect of this censorship of literar ture which I wish to raise, and concerning which I shonld esteem it a very great favour if you would let roe have a definite statement. I personally know some scores of returned soldiers—most of them are my constituents—who are in possession of 'The Cpmmunist Programme,' and also 'Bed Eujope' (another book barmen by your Governiment), and who do not hesitate to circulate both works. These returned soldiers claim that they went to Europe to fight for mental freedom,', quite as much as for political freedom. They know, as you and I know, that there can be neither political nor industrial freedom unless there is the most unrestricted liberty in every department of human thought, and the widest possible access to every avenue of knowledge. Along with the working men generally, these soldier constituents of mine strongly resent the repressive legislation and administration > which makes criminate of men whose only offence is that they seek to know how men of other lands are thinking; and' on. their behalf I ask if the Government proposes to prosecute and imprison them! if they continue to read and circulate the book,* I have mentioned—in 'Other words.; if they persist in upholding 1 the. principles of liberty for which your Government told them they were going to fight.. They desire- to know* where they stand, andl some of.them have told me they are as ready to gd to prison \for what they believe to be tba^right as they were to go to Europe. I may add that all of these works which are being 'prohibited in) New Zealand are allowed, freely to circulate in both Great Britain and. Australia. Why does the Now Zealand Government forbid literature which other Governments permit? "In urging that all restrictions an. cleanly-word*d literature be removed], may I add the claim that no great material change can ever be safely made unless it is preceded by an irateHectual change—a change in the thoughts of men; and it follows that there can be no 'right' change of thought unless it is based on knowledge. There can be no real knowledge where any avenue of information is closed to the reader. When you erite and administer laws which penalise men who dare to seek to know every viewpoint, you make the Magistrate* the agent of reaction, and; the Police Court the machine of an error as hateful and as hated as anything Prus>sia and Russia ever knew in the terroristic days of their liberty-destroying Imperialism, force-sustained, anld foun.dationed on a bloodi<wid'-iron absolutism. It is" surely not well that New Zealand should follow an example so p rognant with danger.

"Yours very faithfully, (Signed) H. E. HOLLAND." "16th April, 1921."