NEWS SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 10

NEWS SERVICES

LONDON CENSORSHIP EMPIRE PRESS COMPLAINTS USE OF NEUTRAL REPORTS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received March tt, 5.35 p.nu) LONDON, March 5 Persistent efforts to induce Government departments to appreciate the part the Empire press should play in maintaining a full understanding of national issues and in mobilising support have borne fruit, according to the annual report of the council of the Empire Press Union.

The council states that the posi-

tion of Empire correspondents in London is more difficult than that of British journalists, because, whereas the home press is not obliged to submit to censorship every news cable, air mail despatches are compulsorily and rigorously censored.

Excisions for Cables "The Ministry of Information hitherto has shown a tendency to underestimate the importance of the Empire press," says the council. "London correspondents continue to complain of excisions from cables of material freely appearing in the British press. The council regards this as unfortunate and damaging to the Kmpirc's war eflort."

The council says that in the absence of adequate news from London the Empire press is liable to use voluminous news services available from neutral and enemy sources, and adds: "A heavy responsibility rests on Empire correspondents in London, especially in selecting and interpreting war news in order to make it clearly understood throughout the Empire." Priority of Release

Referring to the expansion of the British Broadcasting Corporation's news bulletins, the council says: "The question of priority of release of official news to the 13.8.C. is of primary importance to the British overseas press. Instances of unfair priority have chiefly resulted from unexpected announcements in Minister's speeches. It is hoped that as a result of vigorous protests such unfortunate slips will become rarer. There is no reason to suppose the 13.13.0. sought priority or, when it accidentally received it, that it intentionally used it to forestall the newspapers."

FAKED WAR NEWS FICTITIOUS VICTOEIES THE NAZI CAMPAIGN PROPAGANDA INTENSIFIED LONDON. Feb. 2fi German propaganda is being intensified, internally and externally. Even in the smallest moving picture theatres in Germany programmes are continually being interrupted by announcements of fictitious German air and sea victories, and false news about food shortages in neighbouring neutral States, revolts in India and strikes in France.

The psychological effect seems to bo illustrated by reports that many Germans who are visiting neutrals at present have brought in bread and tinned foods sufficient to last for the duration of the visit. The Austrian newspaper Neues "Wiener Tagblatt published a statement "from a leading personality in the English tobacco industry" bearing on the importation of Turkish tobaccos. "The Turkish earthquake providentially relieved England's necessity to worry the smoker by spoiling his cigarette with an admixture of Turkish tobacco," it says. 'Fortunately, the earthquake so disorganised Turkey that agreed consignments are not arriving; also, much of the last crop was destroyed, and the next will be small owing to the upheaval." Obviously this statement was meant for south-eastern Europe's consumption, but its value decreases when it is realised that the earthquake did not affect the tobacco crops.

The French newspaper L'Epoque reports a more subtle form of sabotage aimed at affecting the morale of the French troops and gaining information regarding the movements of military and naval units. A stranger calls at the home of a serving soldier or sailor, claims old friendship, and asks the wifo how the husband is progressing and where he is. The unsuspecting wife gives the "friend" the husband's address, thereby divulging his unit's whereabouts, and later the husband receives an anonymous letter containing outrageous statements about his wife.