Visitors Welcome Check To Harmful Propaganda

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1940, Page 6

Visitors Welcome

Check To Harmful Propaganda

(Receivedjioon). ” LONDON. May 9. The Home Secretary and Minister for Security (Sir John Anderson) in the House of Commons said the Government would amend the law to strengthen the hands of authorities in dealing with any possible attempts to undermine resistance and also to check harmful propaganda, without penalising expressions of opinion. It will become ati offence to incite men to evade their military duties, and the Bill will impose the death penalty in grave cases of espionage and sabotage. Power has been taken, says a British Official Wireless message, to intern non-enemy aliens, who would ordinarily be deported, but cannot be deported to their own country by reasons of circumstances arising from the war. Control Over Repatriates. Provision has been made for control over the entry into Great Britain of persons repatriated from enemy territory who, though technically British subjects, have no close association with British interests. They may be detained where necessary and required to reside within a specified area and not travel outside without permission. The main regulation dealing with propaganda provides that if the Secretary of State is satisfied that any person or organisation is concerned in the systematic publication of matter calculated to foment opposition to the prosecution of the war to a successful issue, and that serious mischief has been caused thereby, he is empowered to give a formal warning, and if such activities continue he may impose sentence of penal servitude for seven years or a fine of £SOO, or both. Anti-Service Penalties.

Besides making it an offence to endeavour to incite men who are liable to military service to evade their duties, the regulations provide penalties for endeavouring to incite persons to abstain from enrolling voluntarily in any of the defence services. Finally, the Secretary of State is empowered to direct that no further use shall be made, pending an application to the High Court, of any printing press which has been used for the production of documents published in contravention of the regulations dealing with illegal propaganda. Sir John Anderson concluded: “I am satisfied that these powers are necessary to meet the situation with which we may be faced, and I trust the Government’s action will command the support of all quarters of the House.”