HISTORY OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10028, 20 July 1918, Page 9

HISTORY OF THE WAR

LETTERS AfiO aiARJcS

NO NEED TO FEAR CENSOR. “For the purpose of the official history of the war,” said tho Minister for Defence (the Hon. Sir James to a, ‘-Times” reporter" yesterday, “wo are trying to secure information from soldiers’ Tetters and diaries; and the question has arisen as to whether any indiscreet references in such letters and diaries might vender tho “IRera liable to disciplinary action atthe hands of the censor. , As any doubt on this score might have the effect of inducing soldiers’ relatives to keep bade letter! which might afford valuable material for the history of the war, tho Chief of Staff was approached on tho matter, and he said that no action will be taken on account of tho letters or diaries containing comments on the conduct of the war, and the fact that they disclose information about tho war which would not bo permitted by the censor ' will not be considered a breach of the War Regulations, nor subject the writers to any disciplinary action. .... “Th© number of letters and craned received is steadily increasing, but we are very anxious to get more from the soldiers after reaching the trenches. It appears that tho men have plenty ot time to write on board ship, and so on, but not in the trenches; so that letters and diaries from the trenches are very difficult to secure, and I hope that they will be sent wherever possible. Groat care is being taken it the letters and diaries received. They are usually returned on the day' ot their receipt, when the required _ extracts have been taken; but, if this is impracticable, owing to the large number of letters received on any one day, they are sent back within a few days.”