DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 18 August 1944, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS

HOGAN’S AGITATION. P.A. WELLINGTON, August 17. Mr. John Hogan denied that his paper “Democracy” was banned tor reasons given in the House of Representatives by Mr. Fraser. He said the Prime Minister had stated the paper was stopped because it was attacking Americans who had arrived in New Zealand to save the country, and because it had written about an invasion of Wall Street and had opposed the raising of war loans. Mi-. Hogan continued: “This is the first time a public statement has been made from the Government of their reasons for an eleven-months’ ban on the paper, which ban was lifted before an opportunity was provided for such charges to be made and substantiated, or refuted, in a Court of law. Mr. Fraser’s statement is wrong in fact and in time. “Democracy” has never attacked American forces in New Zealand and, indeed, lias many friends and subscribers among American servicemen. Further, the ban on “Democracy” was imposed in May, 1942, before any American forces had arrived in this country, and this question was never raised in any form by the Attorney-Gen-eral (Hon. H. G. R. Mason), at the time, or for some months, afterwards. The ban was imposed immediately after the publication of articles criticising the form of propaganda used by the Government in connection with the Bomber Bonds Campaign. These articles were very similar to articles appearing in a London paper, “Banker,” relating to the Spitfire funds, about the same time. It is significant that both Governments have since dropped that form of publicity. Several months after the ban was imposed, in an attempt to justify it, references were made, for the first time, to an article published in January, 1942. welcoming, in advance, the United States forcese who were expected to arrive here, and at the same time warning against allowing our Government to be controlled from Wall Street. Tn no sense was this, an attack on the Americans, and a warning has been contained in many newspapers and speeches in this country and in Parliament since. It is not right that, after such a lapse of time, Mr. Fraser should make unsubstantiated accusations against the paper.” lease recommended.