SOLDIERS’ LETTERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9716, 19 July 1917, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ LETTERS

INFORMATION' WANTED. “CAPTAIN MALCOLM TtOSS, CENSOR.” In the House yesterday afternoon, Mr J. V. Brown, member for Napier, asked the Prime Minister whether he had seen a paragraph in the Napier “Daily Telegraph,” irom winch it appeared that Mr Malcolm Ross, war correspondent, was censoring soldiers’ letters at Headquarters in F ranee.

Mr Brown proceeded to read the paragraph, which appears below: A letter, written by a member of the Headquarters Staff in Franco, was recently received by a “Telegraph” reporter, bearing the signature of Mr Malcolm Boss, our official war correspondent, as censor. As the signature was the impression of a neat rubber, or metal, stamp, it is evident that his position as censor is not altogether temporary. The letter was written early in_ May, but, so far as is known in Napier, no mention has ever been made up to the present of Mr Malcolm Ross employing his spare, or any other time, as military censor. The Prime Minister replied that he had noticed the paragraph in question. “I know nothing of the appointment of Mr Malcolm Ross as censor, as suggested,” he added; “and I, for one. don’t believe that he has been so appointed.” Replying to a question by Mr Paynt (Grey Lynn) as to whether Air Malcolm Ross is awarding the -military distinctions at the front; and, if so. will tho Minister have this practice discontinued in order that Mr Malcolm Ross may devote his time to Mu work for which ho is paid, in salarj and allowances, £IOOO per annum, Sit James Allen states that Air Alalcolm Ross is in no way concerned with the award of military distinctions at the front.