MINISTER REBUKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24874, 21 April 1944, Page 6

MINISTER REBUKED

f CENSORSHIP DISPUTE STATE PREMIER INDIGNANT PRESS QUESTIONS MR. CURTIN By Telegraph~-Press Association —Copyright .(Reed. 5.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, April *2O The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. W. J. McKell, has sharply rebuked the Commonwealth Minister of Information, Mr. A. A. Calwell, for attempting to interfere in State administration. Mr. Calwell had sent a telegram to Mr. McKell protesting against a statement in which the New South Wales Commissioner of Police, Mr. MacKay, explained that the State police took no part in suppressing Sydney newspapers this week following the censorship dispute. Mr. Calwell said the State police should have been willing to uphold his authority, and he demanded disciplinary action against Mr. MacKay. "No Right to Interfere" In reply the Premier indignantly denied that Mr. Calwell had any right to interfere in the administration of the State. He tokl Mr. Calwell that his "rash and ill-considered approach" to this problem was "typical of conduct which had already .-eriously embarrassed" Mr. McKell's Government. The fact that Mr. Calwell had sent the telegram was made known from responsible Commonwealth sources, and Mr. McKell later released the text of his. reply. Mr. Calwell, who is electioneering in South Australia, where the State elections are pending, refused to confirm or "deny that the telegram had been sent. However, he stated: "It was the duty of the State police to assist the Commonwealth police in enforcing Commonwealth law. The failure of New South Wale 3 police to carry out their duty, and the proud boast of Mr. MacKay, indicate a most deplorable state of. affairs and merit strong condemnation bv the New South Wales Government." Mr. Curtin States Principle In Canberra, the deputy-Prime Minister, Mr. F. M. Forde, said the Federal Parliament would not be called to consider the conflict between the newspapers and the censorship. Replying to a request by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. R. G. Menzies, Mr. Forde said: "There is no justification whatever to call the Federal Parliament together. The question referred to by Mr. Menzies is now subject to litigation in the High Court, and, as it is sub judice, I have no other comment." A message from San Francisco says that, when interviewed by the press on his arrival in San Francisco, the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. J. Curtin, faced a barrage of questions from correspondents concerning censorship. ITe said: "My own view is that censorship should never be used to censor political opinions and should never be used in relation to a civil order other than that made necessary by security. "By security I mean information that could he useful to the enemy, or information that is in its nature false and could cause an unjust construction to he reached in the absence of national ability, to tell the full facts." Newspaper Comment In an editorial article entitled "Parliament and the Censorship" the Sydney Morning Herald to-day says: "The legal powers of the censor arc but one factor in the situation which has stirred public feeling as nothing of a domestic nature has done for many years past. In suppressing six metropolitan newspapers within 24 hours the censor and those who instruct him may or may not have been within their legal powers. Whether the censorship exercised in this fashion is reconcilable with the democratic way of life is a very different question, and one for Parliament and the people, to whom Parliament ultimately is responsible, to answer. "There can, indeed, be no question of greater moment for a democracy at. war"than the degree of restraint which rnav legitimately, in the political and not the legal sense of the word, be laid upon the press in the name of national security." The same newspaper states that the Commonwealth publicity censorship late on Tuesday night deleted from a despatch sent to the London Xcw> Chronicle by the president of the Australian Newspaper Proprietors' Association. Mr. I!. A. Henderson, excerpts from one article which was the subject of last Monday's Hi ah Court injunction. The article, subsequently released for cabling, comprised four examples of what Mr. Henderson described as "censorship for political purposes." PENALTY FOR STRIKERS MOVE FOR ANNULMENT LONDON, April 10 Critics have taken quick action against the new defence regulations making strikers liable to five years' imprisonment, says the Press Association's lobby correspondent. A "prayer" to annul the regulation appears on the Order Paper of the House of Commons in the names of nine Labour members. It is likely to be debated to-morrow and forced to a division. A bitter debate is expected. FUEL IN AUSTRALIA CIVILIANS TO GO SHORT SYDNEY, April 2n Wood, coke and coal \yill_ be veryscarce for Australian civilians this •winter, says the Director of War Organisation of Industry. Coke will be practically unprocurable, all supplies being required for essential industry. Very little coal can be released, and manpower and transport problems will affect the supply of woodj particularly W «r«M*