SIGNAL VICTORY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 26, 30 July 1940, Page 14

SIGNAL VICTORY

NO DICTATORSHIP

AUSTRALIAN PRESS FREE

THE PUBLIC VOICE

(By Trans-Tasman Air Mail, from "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, July 24,

Australian democracy proved its potency and achieved a signal victory When nation-wide protests forced the Federal Government to withdraw regulations, issued under the wartime National Security Act, giving the Director-General of Information, Sir Keith Murdoeh, dictatorial powers over Australian newspapers, films, and radio broadcasting. Newspapers declared this was an attempt to "Goebbelise" them. Subject only to. the Minister for Information—at present, the Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies —the Director-General of Information was given power, if he considered it necessary or expedient for defence or war prosecution, to compel newspapers to publish a statement or, advertisement in any space, manner, or form directed. Similar powers were given over broadcasting stations and cinema theatres. The howl that went up in the length and breadth of Australia made the politicians shudder. Members of all political parties, union leaders, business men, and representatives of all other sections of the community described the regulations as dangerous and unnecessary. The newspapers in the capital cities and large provincial towns criticised the regulations as no other single act of administration has been previously criticised. Soothing assurances from Mr. Menzies and Sir Keith Murdoch that the powers would be sparingly used and would not be abused only intensified the protests, which came genuinely from the heart of Australian democracy. MINISTER'S THREAT TO RESIGN. Within twenty-four hours,*Mr. Menzies was faced with a Cabinet split. Ministers of both the Country Party and Mr. Menzies's own Australian United Party were incensed, alleging that the Cabinet had not been consulted before the regulations were issued. The Postmaster-General, Mr. Thorby, a Country Party member, threatened resignation, being particularly concerned that his ministerial control over radio broadcasting had been ignored in the delegation of powers to Sir Keith Murdoch; More explanations by Mr. Menzies and Sir Keith Murdoch failed to satisfy the demand that the regulations should be withdrawn. One of the bitterest comments came from Mr. Lang, a former Labour Premier of New South Wales. "The announcement of the regulations," he said, "only lacks the notification that Sir Keith Murdoch has, by deed poll, changed his name to Goebbels to reproduce here the conditions existing in Germany. If our position is so desperate that we must submit to a controlled Press, then there remains nothing to fight for. If the Government persists with these criminal regulations, it will find defeatism1 rampant all over Australia. A Government that takes such powers of control over the Press has lost its nerve and is not fit to govern in peace or war." "Undemocratic," "totalitarian," "dangerous," and "intolerable" were among the adjectives applied by representative citizens to the regulations. It was particularly emphasised that these powers had been given to an .individual, Sir Keith Murdoch, outside Parliament, and not even assurances by himself and his few sympathisers that he would exercise the powers with "wisdom and "discretion" allayfed the storm. Mr. Menzies bowed before the gale. He announced the withdrawal of the regulations 48 hours after they had been issued. It can be pointed out here that the Australian Press, since the beginning of the war, has submitted itself to a voluntary censorship and, except in a few isolated instances, has honourably observed the principle. In addition, the Government has powers to impose a compulsory censorship and even to suppress publication, the latter power having been exercised against several Communist newspapers which were rightly held to be impeding the national war effort. '■ The newspaper set-up is of signi-, ficance in the attempt to give Sir Keith Murdoch complete Press control. On his appointment as Director-General of Information, Mr. Murdoch announced that he had relinquished his newspaper interests for the duration of the war, but naturally m's word is still law in his extensive newspaper chain. He controls the only evening newspaper and one of three morning newspapers in Melbourne, the only morning newspaper in Brisbane, and the only morning and evening newspapers in Adelaide and Perth, and a morning newspaper in Hobart. Even some of those papers revolted against the chains clamped on them, though his two special "babies," the two Melbourne dailies, apologised, explained, and omitted criticism. Sydney is the only capital city.which has withstood, the Murdoch bid for newspaper control, and observers declare .that it was at the two Sydney morning papers and its evening paper that his regulation was principally aimed. The Sydney papers have been the most critical of the Menzies Government, the "Daily Teelgraph" particularly having exercised its right of attack. That paper alleged that Sir Keith Murdoch had misled Mr. Menzies by telling him that the newspapers had agreed to the regulations. The "Telegraph," when the regulations had been withdrawn, said: "Murdoch wanted criticism to end. He wanted the papers to publish not what they belived to be true and in the best interests of the nation, but what he thought would cause the Government the least discomfort. He wanted the people to stop asking awkward questions and to fall into that deep slumber induced by ample doses of official, censored, pre-digested poppycock. He brought discredit on the Government he is supposed to be helping. He roused the people as they have never been roused by any political issue before. And, unwittingly, he did democracy a good service by awakening the public to the danger that may threaten their liberties from within."