VISIT TO ENGLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24506, 15 January 1941, Page 8

VISIT TO ENGLAND

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON .. EMPIRE'S WAR EFFORT (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) MELBOURNE, Jan. 14. The Prime Minister. Mr R G. Menzies, announced last night that he will visit London shortly for consultation with the British Government regarding the Empire's war effort. No Labour member 1 will accompany Mr Menzies on his visit to England, but at least one high official of the Defence Co-ordination Department will be in tlje party. Mr Menzzies has not said when he will leave, but he declared that, even if he was absent, the Federal Parliament would meet early in March. The Treasurer, Mr A W. Fadden, who will act as Prime Minister while Mr Menzies is away, has risen in less than six months from the status of Assistant Minister to that of Acting Prime Minister. Never before has an acting leader of a political party taken over the leadership of the Government.

NATIONAL SECURITY GOVERNMENT'S' POWERS ! SYDNEY, Jan. 14. (Received Jan. 14, at 7 p.m.) The Federal Government has taken drastic powers under the National Security Act to check attempts to interfere with war production, to prevent disaffection in the Australian forces, and to preserve public morale. The amended regulations prohibit subversive statements A subversive statemerit is defined as any statement inr tended or likely to interfere with the national effort by, disruption of the morale- of the civilian population or members of the forces, or to prejudice or interfere with the production and carriagei ; ,of goods required' for war; Sfatemients of a disloyal or unpatriotic nature, are also defined as subversive. .The regulations prohibit any statement likely to prejudice the success of Government financial schemes. PRESS COMMENT "NEGATION OF DEMOCRACY" SYDNEY, Jan. 14. (Received Jan. 15, at 0.30 a.m.) The Sydney Sun, in a leader on the new powers taken by the Federal Government under the. National Security Act, says: • ■ '.;,.. :'•■•; ■., :"Tlie power to suppress criticism under a, definition so vague that it might apply even to the. Opposition of the House of Representatives is surely the'negation of dembcracy Stringent control is provided for newspapers which contain any reports or statements 'likely to cause dissatisfaction.' It is subversive, to criticise individual members of the Cabinet, it is subversive, to criticise the Government's methods or the conduct of the national war effort/ and it is : a» indictable offence to issue statements to which ' loyal institutions' (unnamed) object. The Government, in effect, becomes so omnipotent that criticism of any of its acts and actions is stultified. It is no longer necessary to interfere with the national effort to become subversive and liable to rigid punishment. It is necessary to become only 'likply to interfere' with the national effort. Some of the new regulations contain powers so wide that they are past interpretation. In fact, the powers are so astonishing and so unexpected that there is every reason to ask why the Government has seen fit to apply them."