NEWS OP THE ARMISTICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17026, 6 December 1918, Page 5

NEWS OP THE ARMISTICE.

ALLEGED SUPPRESSION. PRIME MINISTER EXPLAINS. [BT TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON. Thursday.. A statement regarding the alleged suppression of the news of the signing of the armistice with Germany was made by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) asked why the news had been suppressed here, in view of the fact that it had been published in Australia? The news was known by the public in Australia at 10 o'clock in the evening, and in Mew Zealand the announcement was not made -until following morning. The Prime Minister said that a number of statements had been made in .regard to this matter, which were contrary to (act. The first news came to him personully about midnight. It was unofficial, an'J in view of the previous fiasco, when unofficial news was subsequently contradicted, he decided to wait for the official information. The official now came to His Excellency the GovernorGeneral about 2 o'clock in the morning, and it was received by him (the Primo Minister) about half-an-hour later. The Government had previously decided that if the news came during the night a gun was to be fired in the city at 9 o'clock the following morning. He had arranged to have telegraphed to every office in New Zealand the two words "Armistice signed," and so the news was given at the scame time to all the people in the country. This was exactly what had happened. Of course, he was aware that there was some leakage of the information. A crowd of people had come iip to hitt house, and sung songs outside his gate.