Renewed Call For Censorship On War Reports

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27569, 11 December 1950, Page 5

Renewed Call For Censorship On War Reports

NZPA—Copyright Rec. 11.20 p.m. TOKIO, Dec. 9. Liutenant - general Sir Horace Robertson, commander of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces, today renewed his call for censorship on war reports from Korea, and that United States commanders tighten restrictions on news from the front.

A spokesman said he knew of ‘no direct censorship contemplated by General MacArthur, but announced that the regular press briefings would not be held today or tomorrow, and he could not say whether they would be resumed on Monday. Sir Horace issued a statement in which he sjid he felt the need for censorship was growing stronger every day. .Tokio • Headquarters, and those of the Eighth Army and 10th Corps in Korea, today withheld much information, removed the military situation map from the correspondents’ billet in Seoul, and cautioned newsmen to refrain from locating units in the field or giving the enemy information which he might not have. Ninth Corps headquarters, on the western front, made it known that correspondents were unwelcome. Some of its high officers hlamed the press for exposing its positions and weaknesses, thereby contributing to its defeat. Correspondents contend that in virtually every instance they merely quoted the 9th Corps official spokesman, who often disclosed for publication information that some other headquarters might classify as top sec-? ret. x ........ Refugees Flee Hundreds of terrified Korean refugees, including wealthy families of Government and army officials, are attempting to make the crossing from Korea to the Japanese mainland crammed into small boats manned by Japanese and Korean smugglers, who are charging up to 200 dollars a head for the risky, illegal passage. The smugglers put out from Korean ports in. darkness. At daylight they assume the guise of fishing boats and then try to complete the journey to the Japanese coast under cover of darkness the following night. \ Centurion Tank Captured fchinese Communists captured one of Britain’s 52-ton Centurion tanks, which are still partly secret. The tank fell into 'Chinese hands during the withdrawal from Pyongyang, when it was abandoned because of a track breakdown. Its Bth Hussar crew, after an unsuccessful effort to repair it, set the tank on fire. The crew also disabled its 20-pounder high-velocity gun, but a military source said it was “highly doubtful” that Communist tank experts had been prevented from collecting a wealth of information from the Centurion wreck. The abandoned Centurion, like all other British Centurions in Korea, had not fired a single round in action. Greeks Arrive

A battalion of Greek infantry, wearing American uniforms and carrying American weapons and equipment, disembarked at Pusan today. The battalion is composed of veterans of the Greek anti-guerrilla campaign.