PAPERS ATTACKED

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 17029, 2 December 1915, Page 7

PAPERS ATTACKED

THE NORTHCUFFE PRESS, HELPING THE ENEMY. - ' RECKLESSNESS AND FOLLY",. CHARGED. Sffi J. A. SIMON'S THREAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrigit (Received December 1, 9.25 p?in.> LONDON, November 30. In the House of Commons Sir J.. A. Simou referred to the article in "Russ> . koye Slowo" on "The Times" and the " Daily Mail " attitude. "As 60on as I discovered it was not the statement of the opinion held in Russia," he said, "I wrote an explanation to 'Th« Times.' Since tlien Lord Northcliffe's papers have made groundless charges against jio. They have even suggested ' that the paragraph was insph-ed by the British Government and have made in sinuations against my honour and good faith. The charges are absolutely un- > true." , Sir J. A. Simon continued that the question was how far the Hstrnisworth Press, however unintentionally, hud contributed to the propaganda of the enemy. This could not be decided by x a foreign correspondent, but was a question of fact. The "Daih Mail" on October 11- published a map headedi " Tlie Road to India," at the moment when the Germans entered Belgrade. It was obvious what use German propaganda could make of such a mis* chievous instrument to influence East--em opinion. The German newspapers h«d republished the map as a supple- ■ ment, which was distributed gratis in the neutral nations in the. East by the German Consul-General. The German! had added the inscription, "Britain's Empire in trembling fear of Germany." It was printed in seven languages. The, map had not been' submitted to the Press Bureau by the "Daily Mail." • Nothing could be done now to recall the damage. Sir John Simon next referred to Mr John BtMfcan's despatch on the battk

! | of Loos. “The Times” had uuggested that sentences praising the Draveiy of the Germans had been excised. That was untrue. In Spain there were a certain number of pro-German papers, which were regularly supplied with matter from Germany. . What was lamentable about the business was that nine-tenths of the matter orig’.nally came from Lord Northcliffe’s papers. A voice: Why don’t you suppress the paper? Sir John Simon: I am going to deal with that in a moment. Continuing, he asked was this continual fouling of our own nest calculated to encourage the soldiers at the front?' In connection with a London evening paper he had been asked if he could not take a gentler way. What he was now taking was the gentler way. If it was not effective it would be perfectly possible to take more strenuous action. It was not a case in which ho could take a single instanca and base strong measures on. It was a question of ten- ■ dency and therefore more difficult to cheek and control. “ I have no personal quarrel with Lord Novthcliffe. I don’t know him. Lord Northcliffe appears to be likq the prophets of Baal, who in moments of exe tement had an odd habit of leaping -upon the altars they had made. It ie not too much to say that one of the greatest German assets is the encouragement given to her people and the concern created in the minds of our friends by the false picture presented almost daily to the world by a portion of our Press. They present a caricature of the country and deprive it of the very virtues which give it strength. ‘‘l do not make imputations except of recklessness and folly and a failure to appreciate that what they are doing has become a public danger.” He thought he had done his duty in bringing the matter fairly before the House. No paper’s services could atone or excuse a course of conduct which, lie believed, was threatening the safety of the country.