MINISTERS AS PRESSMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17383, 20 April 1928, Page 8

MINISTERS AS PRESSMEN

MR BALDWIN’S BAN.

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

PREMIER DRAWS DISTINCTIONS

(Australian Press Assn.—United Service.)

(Received April 20, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON. April 19

In the House of Commons Mr. T. Johnston (Labour, Rhondda), and Hon. J. R. Clynes (Labour, Platting), closely questioned the Prime Minister (Mr. Stanley Baldwin), in reference to Lo-rd Birkenhead’s past and Mr. Winston ' ChurchtU’s forthcoming articles in magazines, in view of Mr Baldwin’s ban against, Ministers writing for the Press. Mr. Baldwin pointed out that he had always distinguished between journalistic articles on controversial questions and literary, historical or philosophical writings: also between contributions to the daily and weekly Press, and in books and magazines. Mr. Churchill had undertaken that, his contributions would strictly conform with the embargo. Lord Birkenhead's recent article dealing with the position of women certainly touched the fringe of current controversy, and in a sense was different from the general view of the Government, but it was only an isolated chapter from a bock Lord Birkenhead was writing. The worst lie could say was that. Lord Birkenhead was guilty of an error of judgment.