PRESS CENSORSHIP

Grey River Argus, 30 December 1914, Page 5

PRESS CENSORSHIP

THE ARGUS SPEAKS OUT

RIDICULOUS RESTRICTIONS

IMPOSED

Received 10.20 p.m. MELBOURNE, Dec. 29. The Argus newspaper in a leader commenting on. the statement issued by Co'loinelt Legge regarding the censorship, says that if Colonel Legge or i the Hon. Mr. Pearce has fauJt to find with any newspaper it should have pluck to give the names.

Referring- to the Navy Office the Argus declares that it has shown capacity for blundering aiid obstructiveness which only knowledige of facts could make credible.

The gentjlemeoit in authority there seemed to be afraid of their own shadows . and gave the most timid and childish . interpretation to regulations and instructions.

Events freely discussed in Australia were not allowed to be published.

Merchantile clerks and others in similar occupations were called upc»n to deal with newspaper work, which they did not in the least understand.

li could hardly be believed, but it ias actually a fact, that papers had been ordered not to publish news of the bombardment .of Scarborough notwithstanding that it was authorised by the official Press Bureau,- and passed by the British censors.

What right had Mr. Pearce to set up a moral censorship.

Neither Mr. Pearce nor Colonel Legge could pretend to know when news was incorrect and. neither could know how to conduct a newspaper: