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The Southland Times TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1939. Censorship At The Customs Office

One aspect of the import regulations which should be given the closest attention is the. opportunity they provide for indirect forms of censorship. So far the interference with what could be described as “cultural” imports has been comparatively small, and in some cases may have been the result of the inadequate or hasty preparation which has already caused numerous anomalies and errors in the allocation of licences. According to a Wellington message printed last week, imports of books and periodicals from the United Kingdom and Australia are “in practically all cases being allowed up to the full amount imported during the first half of last year.” Imports from the United States are being reduced 75 per cent.; but it is claimed that “most notable liteiature” from America can be obtained from London, so that foi the time being the ban may. not seriously affect American periodicals. It is difficult to say what the position will be if the Customs Department cuts down booksellers’ and newsagents’ imports more heavily at a future period, although it seems safe to assume that importers would give priority to British publications, which would mean that journals from the United States would almost certainly be the first to be deleted from a shrinking quota. This may not seem as serious, to many persons, as the Customs attack on American cigarettes. But there never was a time when cultural contacts between the United States and the British Dominions were of greater importance. In recent years there has been a noticeable movement towards a closer co-operation between the English-speaking peoples. This tendency has been emphasized lately by the signing of the AngloAmerican Trade Agreement and, still more recently, by official declarations on foreign policy which seem to align the democracies in a cultural front against fascism. It would be particularly unfortunate if, at this time, any kind of publication likely to stimulate a wider understanding of the American outlook and social background were refused entry to New Zealand. Cheap magazines (known colloquially as “pulps”) that deal offensively in crime and sex are obviously not included in this category, and few reasonable persons will mourn the exclusion of these publications, reported this morning in a message from New Plymouth. But there are other periodicals which represent the high-water mark in contemporary journalism. They are notable, not only for the talent that goes into their literary and technical production, but also (and this is increasingly important today) for their complete freedom of outlook and expression. If New Zealanders are to be deprived of these journals, or to receive only a meagre and rationed' supply, the effect on the country’s culture may be damaging. One final point should be noted. Although the country can dispense with the cheapest kind of American magazines, the method by which they are being banned must be recognized as a dangerous precedent. When a Government is in a position to arrange quotas for books and periodicals it is already on its way towards imposing a censorship. Any future movements in this direction should be watched carefully and given the widest possible publicity. The experience of other countries that have entered a closed economy shows that sooner or later some kind of censorship becomes inevitable. A Government which has shown itself morbidly sensitive to criticism can scarcely expect to escape suspicion while it is claiming and exercising powers that may ultimately prove incompatible with the democratic ideal in politics.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19390207.2.34

Bibliographic details

Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 6

Word Count
584

The Southland Times TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1939. Censorship At The Customs Office Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 6

The Southland Times TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1939. Censorship At The Customs Office Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 6