THE SAMOA TIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18541, 29 April 1922, Page 4

THE SAMOA TIMES

ALLEGATIONS DENIED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. April 28. An article printed in t lie Fiji Times and reprinted by several New ' Zealand newspapers, alleging that the Now Zealand Government exercised control over matter printed in the Somoa Times was commented upon to-day by the Minister of External Affairs (the Hon. E. P. Lee). “I do not, of course,” said the Minister, “object to fair criticism; but. the statement published in the Fiji Times and by one or two of our metropolitan papers is quite wrong. That part of the article about which I complain says: ‘Nowhere is the irksomeness of the New Zealand control felt so severely as in connection with the press. We do not suppose that the editor is to blame. He cannot nublish what he is officially advised not to. He must abide by the official decisions of what should not be published.’ I referred that extract to the editor of the Samoa Times (Mr G. P. Brown), a well-known New Zealand journalist, and this is his reply; ‘ln reply to yours of yesterday’s date there has not been a single article nor a news item censored by the administration during the whole period (18 months) in which I have been editor of the" Samoa Times. The censorship of the Samoa Times that was instituted during the war period was lifted a feiv weeks after I became editor of the Samoa Times. The administration of Western Samoa docs not exercise direction or control over me as editor, nor over the conduct of the paper. The statement of the Fiji Times that I must abide by the official decisions of what should not be published is pointless, for I have no official decisions put upon me.’ ” “The statement of the editor of the Samoa Time?,” added Mr Lee. clearly shows that the paper enjoys the saine liberty in tile selection of the matter it prints as any other journal, and I hope his statement will prevent misstatements being made in the future about the paper.”