DANGEROUS DELAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23739, 20 August 1940, Page 6

DANGEROUS DELAYS

Adverse comment is being passed in Britain, with good reason, about the way Germany was left to broadcast exaggerated accounts of damage to London in Friday's air attack for some hours before a British statement of the plain facts overtook the falsehoods. Japan and Spain are stated to have been the special targets of the propaganda, but it also had a brief success in the United States. Britain cannot afford to let this kind of thing happen too often. The instance selected for criticism by the Times, among others, is particularly unfortunate. There may be defence of delay in giving details of successes and casualties in air battles. It is well to have the figures properly checked, and the staffs of fighter units have other things to think about besides rendering reports while the squadrons are in action. But with regard to the damage done to London

suburbs, it appears that the correspondents of American papers could have cabled the facts promptly if censorship had not delayed their messages. Here there need have been no question of compiling official reports. The correspondents could have seen for themselves what had happened, told the truth, and given the news at least simultaneously with the German broadcasts. Britain had everything to gain and nothing to lose by allowing this. But it seems a fatal British habit to let the enemy get in first. Those with memories of the last war will recall how Germany was allowed to proclaim the Battle of Jutland as a glorious victory, and., how long it was before first impressions were corrected. These delays are dangerous, and the sooner it is realised by the authorities the better.