ITALIAN PRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1935, Page 4

ITALIAN PRESS

A MILITARY HUSH NEW CODE OF SILENCE A law has been passed by Royal Decree which completely prohibits the publication of any news or. information of even a remotely military nature unless specially given out for publication purposes by the Ministry of War, Navy, or Air, says the Borne correspondent of the London "Morning Post." The list of forbidden .items is bo sweeping and bo general that it forms a complete gag in the mouth of' the Press, home and foreign. Whether such has been the Government's intention I do not presume to know, but, on the face of it, it would appear that to report any news such as the movements of Italian troops to the frontier at the time of the Dollfuss murder, or to report any accidents, to military aeroplanes, or the launching of battleships, or even scientific experiments, lays correspondents open to charges identified with espionage and heavy imprisonment penalties. . • In fact; the list is so comprehensive that the mere reporting of the new Act may be included within its universal orbit! Coming as it does at a ; time when Mussolini has declared his intention of converting Italy into a militarist nation, the interpretation of 'he new law is without limit in favour of the Government, military, and police authorities because there is no phase 'of Italian official life in Italy today which cannot be interpreted on a. military basis if so desired. , ' According to the list, the following are among the items which may not bo reported:— 1. Peace-time movements , of troops or warship's. 2. Army, navy, or air manoeuvres. 3. Serious accidents or incidents touching any of the services. 4. Naval programmes, the characterise tics of building projects, details about service aeroplanes. 5. News about the import or export of war material by Government authorities or private,firms. 6. Details of radio and other scientific experiments of military interest. 7. Air experiments. 8. Optic wave length and invisible Tay experiments or accomplishments. 9. Railway ana traffic news. 10. Hydro-electric and' canal news. 11. Mobilisation news., , 13. Army levy news. 14. "Organisation of the army for war" news. t 15. "The thoughts and attitude of the Government on those parts of international treaties which are not published." ' It is to be noted that in all the above general list it is requisite that "characteristics" or "details" of "interest to the military services", must be divulged before an offence under this Act is committed. But where does the definition and interpretation of these qualitios end? And who does the interpreting? There are many forbidden items not included in the above selections from the list—items of an obviously secret nature. With, these no journalist is concerned; but the general Tun of the list puts the Press completely at the discretion of the penal authorities, thus constituting a menace more effective than censorship. And it would be a clever man who. could toll where things of •'interest to. the military services'.' begin or end in Fascist Italy.