NEWS CENSORSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 21, 25 January 1940, Page 12

NEWS CENSORSHIP

SECRECY IN BRITAIN

THE CANADIANSURfIIVAL

BROADCAST & PRESS

The much-debated question of the censorship of news in this country is fast-coming to a head, and the authorities have been given something of a shock by Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, wrote the London correspondent of the Melbourne "Age" recently.

The Dominion of Canada was the unconscious cause of it all. Perhaps, at a later'date, Australia will find matters arranged more satisfactorily because of this quite innocent intrusion of Canada into the battle of criticism which has waged over the censors' job almost since the day that war was declared.

Canada decided to send a detachment of troops to Great Britain, there to have a period of intensive training before being drafted to the front in France. The news had been published widely. Everybody knew of it, and welcomed it. The people naturally were anxious to know more. What they did not know and what-they never asked was when the Canadians were arriving in this country.

Then the Canadian contingent, safely escorted across the Atlantic without a casualty by the Navy, arrived at an unnamed British port under Major-Gen-eral A. G. L. McNaughton, the general officer commanding, who is, known familiarly to his men as "Andy." Representatives of the Press were taken to the port and elaborate arrangements, some good and some faulty, were made by the War Office for the publication of news, photographs, newsreel pictures, etc. They fixed a sort of zero hour at which the arrival of the Canadians" could be released. THE RETURN TO LONDON. That hour was 2 o'clock on a Wednesday morning, the idea apparently being that pressmen thus should have ample time to return. to London and prepare their stories. But the delay had obvious disadvantages. There are newspapers published in the port where the Canadian troops arrived, but they were prohibited from mentioning the event, though large numbers of their readers in the town" had, of course, actually seen the troops and had given them a cordial welcome. The rest of the country was to remain in ignorance of the Canadian visitation until 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning, which really meant such hour as the morning newspaper arrived on the breakfast table on that day. On the Monday some, of the Press people endeavoured to convince the War Office that there was no reason why the news should, be concealed after the troops had been safely disembarked, but the authorities stuck to the Wednesday morning arrangement despite all protestation. The War Office said "No," and added that even when 2 o'clock on Wednesday arrived no mention must be mace of the strength of the detachment. But Mr. Churchill said "Yes," and he let the cat out of the bag. On the Monday evening at 9.15 he came to the microphone and, after telling all Britain of the Graf Spec, and other naval exploits, he unashamedly announced *>ot only that the Canadian troops had arrived, but that they numbered a division. TROUBLE CREATED. Britain was delighted to receive the news, but Mr. Churchill's action seems to have created trouble with the authorities. Sir Walter Mohckton, K.C., the^head of the Censorship Department at the Ministry of Information, was hurriedly summoned from his bed to straighten out matters, while the newspapers, which, had been told to wait until Wednesday . morning, set their presses going to inform the world twenty-four hours earlier by letterpress and photograph. Two other pertinent circumstances arose. The Court Circular which daily records the movements and doings of the Royal Family, gaily announced that General Sir Charles Grant had welcomed the Canadian troops on behalf of the King, and though the Press were told that they must not indicate where the troops were going into camp, the general officer commanding one of our best-known camps wrote to the Press stating that a large number of Dominion troops would be stationed at Aldershot —where, in fact, they now are. The newspapers, tired of what they regard as completely unnecessary restrictions, have,made the most of this incident, and undoubtedly it must have an important bearing upon the vexed question of censorship as a whole. The censorship has been suffering some hard knocks, and the wonder is that it has survived them in its present form. Sooner or later the system would have to be reorganised completely, and the newspapers and public will welcome drastic action with a good deal of relief. There is no suggestion whatever that anyone in the country desires the disclosure of information which might be of value to the enemy. But there is a strong feeling that the authorities have gone too far in restriction. INEXPERIENCED MEN. The real fault lies'in the paucity of practical and experienced journalists in the Censorship and the Ministry of Information generally, plus the lack of power given to the Chief Censor, and the selection of amateurs to do a skilled and highly-important task. Even the long-suffering legislators have objected with a good deal qf strength and emphasis. The other day in the House of Lords, Lord Raglan told how, in sheer disgust, he had thrown up his £750 a year job in the Ministry because he had practically nothing to do in the way of book censorship, which was his appointed task. A Government spokesman endeavoured to throw cold water upon this noble Lord's heat, but the one fact emerged that the resignation was due to a sense of disgust at a. lack of opportunity to earn a stipulated salary from the State. Other evidences of the weakness of the Ministry's organisation have been forthcoming, and from right and left this Department has been attacked with vigour. The newspapers have not hesitated to express their candid views, and in particular the organ of Lord Beaverbrook. Newspapers and public are convinced that the best use is not being made of the machine. In the creation of the organisation there were bound to be misfits and mistakes.-The fault is that there were too many of both, and, apparently, too little desire to alter things from the outset. Of all the Ministries this has been subjected to the most marked and expressive public criticism. In it there are some skilled men doing some excellent work, and it would seem to be unfair that their efforts should be impeded because, working alongside them and sometimes above them, are men who may have qualities in other directions, but whose knowledge of news, publicity, and propaganda is distinctly sketchy. BLAMED UNFAIRLY. It is unfair, also, that the Censorship Department, though rt may have its own deplorable faults, should have to bear all the blame if it is held up by officials in the War Office, Admiralty, and Air Ministry, who have their own

ideas as to the nature and the amount of the news which shojuld be doled out to the public, and as to when that news should be published.

The newspapers are co-operating splendidly with the authorities in everything appertaining to the prosecution of the war. They have abided loyally by a variety of restrictions, some of them irritating and in their opinion unnecessary. They are ready and willing to submit to a censorship in the national interest, but they contend that censorship should be wisely administered, and that in its administration the authorities should take note, not only of the necessity for keeping the enemy in the dark, but also the legitimate requirements of the reading public. After all, the people, who are supporting the national effort in every possible manner, and with great willingness, have a real urge for news, and the wireless bulletins, acceptable in their way, do not give them all they want by any means. The bulletins are scrupulpusly fair and truthful, but naturally they suffer through their lack of colour. That colour the Press alone can provide efficiently.

In the opinion of a great many people a vital need today is' a completely reorganised Ministry of Information, manned by experienced men, in which shall be centred on a proper basis the whole gamut of news services, censorship, publicity, and propaganda. For the superintendence of this a man of outstanding abilities would find useful and striking work of the highest national importance. After all, as an acute political commentator said privately the other day, the Ministry is our front window —and just now that window needs the application of a wash leather.

(Sir John Reith has now been appointed Minister of Information.)