CENSORSHIP BAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 41, 16 August 1941, Page 9

CENSORSHIP BAN

MENTION OF MEETING

BRITONS DSD NOT KNOW

LONDON, August 14. Explaining why Mr. Attlee's statement surprised Britain, although the American public had been reading about the meeting since August 12, the "Daily Mail" says that President Roosevelt personally requested that no mention should be made in the British newspapers. Quotations from American papers cabled throughout the world were certainly in the possession of the Germans, but Mr. Roosevelt injsisted on no official statement till after ithe meeting because he was anxious ■for Mr. Churchill's safety. ■ Mr. Roosevelt realised that if knew about Mr. Churchill's 1 transatlantic journey they would do their utmost to attack him. ■ The British Government acceded to . Mr. Roosevelt's urgent request but extracts from the uncensored American newspapers began to arrive in Britain on August 12. . A decision had then to be made the British papers should publish the quotations, but it was decided to maintain the censorship, first because reprinting of the reports would tend to confirm the meeting for the Germans, and secondly because enemy agents would then have a good chance of picking up something valuable from persons knowing something of Mr. Churchill's journey. j