HEAD-ON ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1943, Page 3

HEAD-ON ATTACK

ON 8.8. C. PROPAGANDA MADE BY INDEPENDENT LABOUR MEMBER. CONCERN FOR BOMBED GERMANS. (By Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, April 8. “We question the authority of the 8.8. C. and the Minister of Information to conserve the right of expression through the 8.8. C. for Government members and the ‘yes-men’ from various political parties,” said Mr McGovern (Independent Labour Party), in the House, attacking 8.8. C. propaganda. “We get this one-sided hash which shows complete lack of faith in the democratic situation. Those selected to put over talks on religious matters are what I might call safe, patriotic men—the sort of people who praise 80001 b. bombs and hope they do God’s work. No religious expression is allowed that contradicts the idea of the State waging war. It is a remarkable thing that the 8.8. C. states in its medical talks that all foods which are difficult to obtain have no food value, whereas the rubbishy substitutes are stated to be of great value, This shows how the medical profession can adapt its requirements to the political need of supporting the Government which is waging war.” Mr McGovern added that abominable things were constantly said over the German radio about Jews, but no Jews was allowed to reply over the 8.8. C. “One hears the Dean of Canterbury and others protesting, but this is part of the general exploitation of the suffering of these people for the, purpose of fighting the war,” Mr McGovern said. The manner in which speakers gloated over - the massacre of Germans from the air caused revulsion among decent people. “We can only say now that all our moral protests against the bombing of London arose because we had insufficient planes,” he said. “Once we got them moral objections went to the limbo. This totalitarian radio instrument is being wielded for the benefit of the Government at the Prime Minister’s dictation. Everybody seems afraid to face up to this individual. He appoints in every phase of public life those who can be depended on to carry out his wishes in every phase of political dictatorship. Radio should be a national instrument for the propagation of every viewpoint, and, unless the 8.8. C. is radically changed, we go headlong into the Continent’s mistake.”