A BROADCAST BAN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19759, 28 March 1934, Page 8

A BROADCAST BAN

“IGNORANT MISTAKE” MR SHAW CRITICISES AUTHORITIES By Telegraph—Press Association ROTORUA, March 27. Mr Bernard Shaw was not seriously disturbed over the banning of a broadcast of the epilogue of his play “Androcles and the Lion” which was to have been put over the air from Christchurch. Mr Shaw considers, however, that the refusal to allow the well-known Indian religious teacher, Krishnamurti, to broadcast is a much more serious mistake. Mr Shaw said that the statement telegraphed from Christchurch to the effect that New Zealand was the only country which did not allow him the full use of the air was a mistake. "The British Government recently refused to allow Mr Winston Churchill to broadcast his views on India,” he said. “A speech made by me on my seventieth birthday was similarly banned, and no doubt there are other instances thought I was never again interfered with until the incident at Christchurch yesterday. “A far less excusable case is the refusal to allow Krishnamurti to broadcast. He is a religious teacher of the greatest distinction who is listened :o with profit and assent by members r.f all churches and sects, and the prohibition is an ignorant mistake. The excuse as to broadcasting being controversial is nonsense. Everything that comes over the wireless is controversial except the time signal and the weather report. For instance, ‘Androcles and the Lion’ is a violently controversial play, but it has been broadcast without any protest from the inspector. AH my broadcasts are blazingly controversial, but they are quoted over the wireless and elsewhere. Controversial means simply something that the Government or the inspector does not agree with, but this does not apply in the case of Krushnamurti. The authorities are evidently ignorant of his standing and his admirably catholic doctrine, and class him just as an Indian heathen. When he becomes known in New Zealand they will be sorry for it.”