NORTHCLIFFE PRESS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10957, 20 July 1921, Page 5

NORTHCLIFFE PRESS

AN ATTACK RESENTED GOVERNMENT’S WITHDRAWAL OF SPECIAL NEWS FACILITIES. MR LLOYD GEORGE EXPLAINS. 11- Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received Julv 19, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 18. In the House of Commons, Mr Lloyd George, replying to questions regarding tile withdrawal of Foreign Office facilities from “The Times,” said that in view of the peculiarly offensne attack on Lord Curzun special facilities for inquiries had boon withdrawn, but official news was still available to “The Times” through the ordinary news agencies. Such an attack at such a moment seemed to fall below the normal standard of British journalism. For years past facilities had been given representatives of the newspapers to Visit Government offices and make inquiries. “The Times” took full advantage of this privilege, but courtesy should beget courtesy. The fact that “The Times” pursued a virulent attack on the Government, and, notably on the head of the Government, had not in the least influenced Government departments in offering facilities to “The Times” " ;presentatives. He (Mr Lloyd George) never personally made a single effort to induce the withdrawal of a single facility from “Tile Times” or its syndicated papers, but “The Times” on Wednesday last, published an offensive and mischievous attack on Lord Curzon, with special reference to tlie momentous negotiations in which he was engaged concerning not only the British Government, but representatives of tho Dominions and India. He passed by the question of taste, but it was difficult to overlook the attack creating personal prejudice in foreign countries against a public servant of high repute, charged with responsible negotiations on behalf of the’British Empire. No reputable journal of any party would have published such an attack, which was entirely unprecedented. The Premier said that “The Times"' was still supposed to represent both educated and official opinion in thi6 country, but the real facte were only gradually becoming known abroad. Therefore it was essential that the Government should mark strongly its disapproval of the attack on Lord Curzon, and therefore special favours accorded “The Times’’ by tradition in the past will be entirely withdrawn.

They only previous reference made in the cables to the matter referred to by Mr Lloyd George was the following message published last Friday:—i be “Daily News” understands that as the result of a leader in Wednesday’s “Times,” alleging personal disqualifications of Mr Lloyd George and Lord Curzon, as representatives of Britain at the Washington Conference, both the •Foreign Office and the Premier’s secretary have broken pff relations with all Northcliffe papers, refusing to give those papers any information.