DANGER IN BRITAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22617, 21 April 1948, Page 5

DANGER IN BRITAIN

PAPERS RISK OF NEUTRALITY :! rothermere warns US. . (N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Copyright.) <lO a.m.) NEW YORK. April 20. The possibility of English newspapers having to reduce from four to two pages daily because of lack of newsprint, could not be discounted, said Lord Rothermere today, addressing the centenary annual meeting of the Associated Press of America, at ■which he was the chief guest. ■ The task of freely disseminating news could not be fulfilled in such circumstances, he said. “Ignorance breeds isolationism and isolationism breeds neutrality,” he said. “Look eastwards across the Atlantic and you will see forming on the horizon a cloud of wishful neutrality. Today no bigger than a man’s hand perhaps, but capable tomorrow of assuming menacing proportions. The serious movement for Western neutrality, particularly British neutrality, could undermine the whole conception of American strength and swiftly imperil the present safety of your precarious peace and freedom.” It was the first time in the history of the Associated Press than an Englishman had been the principal speaker at the annual meeting.