PRESS CENSORSHIP

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1944, Page 4

PRESS CENSORSHIP

Dispute Settled IN AUSTRALIA LAns. & NZ. Press Acsn 1 (Rec. 1.0) SYDNEY, May 18.. A settlement of the censorship dispute between newspapers and the Commonwealth Government w.as announced to-night, by the ActingPrime Minister, Hon. F. M. . Fq.cde. A new code of censorshio principles has been drawn up for the guidance and direction of the censorship authorities and the press, he said. It nrovided that the censorship shall be imposed exclusively for reason of defence security. -Censorship shall not be imposed merely for the maintenance of morale, or for -the prevention of despondency, or of alarm. The censorship shall not prevent the reporting of industr.ail disputes or stoppages. Criticism and comment, however strongly expressed, shall be free. Mere exaggeration or iinactcuracy shall not be a ground for censorship. Defence security shall be the governing principle for every 1 application of the censorship Except in the case of immediate obvious danger to defence security, breach of censorship directions shall be dealt with by .prosection, .and not by seizure of the proposed publication.

“The Government policy on censorship is strictlv non-political,” sai’d Mr Forde. “There is not, nor was there ever, any -intention on the part of the Government that the censorshin should be used in any way for political purposes. The operation of the censorship to safeguard the security of the nation must be related to existing conditions. As the w'ar position improves, its .administration will become increasingly liberal, v.-hilp still safeguarding the security of the nation and the lives of the members of the forces!” Mr A. Hndenson. president of the Newspanei' Proprietors’ Association, said: “We unreservedly accept- the Government’s Announcement confirming the principle stated by the Prime Minister, Mr -Curtin, that censorship is to be exercised only on grounds of national security. We accept the statement that this .always has been the Government’s intention, but the view of the newspapers is that administration of the censorshin has sometimes been exceeded. The newspapers fully recognise the need for a censorship in wartime, and will continue to offer the censorship authority co-opera-tion they freely extended in. the past.” ■