LIBERTY RETURNING.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16429, 24 January 1919, Page 5

LIBERTY RETURNING.

/ RESTRICTIONS DISAPPEARING IN ENGLAND. » (FROM OUH OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, December 3. Almost before the armistice'" was signed, and when it seemed certain that tho Gormalis must agree to the tferms, the first signs of the disappearance of the "war restrictions in everyday lifo made their appearance. Two or throe days before the armistice the Home Office announced that when it was signed it would be permitted immediately to clean the street lamps. A certain number of people took the cue from this to leave their blinds up even on the Sunday, and by Monday, the day on which the armistice was signed, men wero already busy cleaning the street lamps. On the day of the armistice the proccss of returning to normal conditions of peace began at onco. Relaxations were officially announced forthwith. The first of these, by the Local Govcfnment Board and tho Ministry of National Servico, declared all remitting suspended, and all outstanding calling-up notices cancelled. The President of the Board of Trade relaxed, for that week only, a portion of tho lighting and heating regulations applying to hotels, restaurants, and places of entertainment, the general. offect of which was to permit the serving of meals after 9.30 P*m. and to extend the hours for places of entertainment. The police authorities at tho same timo wore instructed to relax restrictions on fireworks and bonfires. The masking of street lights, which was effected to some extent by tho removal of globes, but also by tho dark painting, was also abolished, but the shortage of coal prevented any additional brilliancy of tho lights, or a lamer number of tho lamps to be used. The shading of lights in houses and shops was withdrawn, but, for the sake of saving fuel, illuminated advertisements and lighted shop windows both remain forbidden. The Latitude about fireworks was directly confined to the week of the armistice, and beforo this had expired, the appetite for noise and jubilation had almost disappeared. Another sign of returning liberty was the permission for the ringing of bells. For the last year or two most of the church bells in belfries and towers — particularly in London —hadbeon silent, chiefly as a precaution against disclosing positions to hostile aircraft. _ The same restrictions applied to the striking of public clocks at nirrht. These restrictions all went by tho board at once, and a day or two after tho armistice was signed Big Ben and all his more modest fellows were regularly striking.

i The following day instructions were | given for the withdrawal of all sumI monies pending for breaches of the liehtinr; restriction orders, but it was carefully explained that motors wore still restricted. INDUSTRIAL FREEDOM RETURNING. Almost the first step towards restored freedom to industries in Great Britain was th© announcement by the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding, Lord Pirrie, that the yards were alreadv in a position to receive privato orders. Telegrams were sent to shipbuilders all over the country the moment the armistice was signed, ordering them to suspend work in every case where standard ships had been ordered and the keel had not been laid. It is understood, however, that the orders already given will keep most yards busy until the end of next year. There are supposed to be about forty standard ships on order, the keels of which have been laid. THE CENSORSHIP. Almost the first demands made _ in Parliament for the restoration ot civil liberty were directed against the Press Censorship. On the day following the 'armistice, Lord Northcljffe announced that the need for propaganda was ended, and he tendered liis resignation or the post of Director of Propaganda in enemy countries. From what has since transpired, it seems that it might profitably have continued • for at least another week—at any rate until the full terms of the armistice were made known to the German people, for it 6eems that in announcing tne armistice, the euchre party, led by Dr. Solf, still entertained much engendered hatred against tne Allies, and carefully omitted the clauses ' under which the Allies guaranteed to feed the German people. The need tor propaganda in Great Britain seems to have ceased—at any rate, no time was lost in withdrawing the censorship restrictions. The first sign_ of this was the rather ridiculous official announce-, ment, on November 14th, of tbe sinking of H.M.S. Audacious, by a mine off the North coast of Ireland more than years ago. This event _ was witnessed by a British ship containing about three thousand neutral passengers, but the Admiralty at the time went out of the way to deny that it had ever occurred. It now says "this was kept secret at tne urgent request of the Commander-m----r"l,ief Grand Fleet, and the Press loyally refrained from giving it any i publicity." ~ On Thursdav, three days after the armistice had teen concluded, the Government declared that it could not safo-

]y terminate the censorship until tho conclusion of peace, but a number of restrictions were cancelled. The Press was immediately permitted to refer, to the number of units and the places where they had been seen, and all ranlcs wore permitted to write home and say where they were located. As to cablegrams, they could not make "ny radical change at the moment. -Tho restrict tions also -with regard to the public ition of meteorological and weather reports of ail kinds were withdrawn. It was also permitted, within four days of the armistice, to publish mercantile shipping intelligence of all kinds. As a result the larger newspapers commenced to publish, on November 19th, the full lists of sailings and arrivals, movements of liners, and casualty reports. And two days later the dates and departure of mails also made their appearance. It is interesting to note that at tho same moment the whole of the voluntary censorship of the regulations in America were abolished. A day or two later another concession to the freedom of the Press was made in view of the general election, merely to give candi: 1 tos the requisite freed xn in putting their views. On the loth an order was issued by the Ministry of Munitions permitting tho employment, on work other than munitions, of men who had been making arms, ammunition, ships, aircraft, and so forth. v THE DIFFICULTIES OF SHIPPING. Although the convoy system ceased at once, and merchant vessels were therefore able to proceed on their voyag whenever they were ready, tho conditions of shipping in the North Sea ire still, far from" normal. The barrier constructed across the Straits of Dover b-s a precaution against submarines has not yet. been removed, and each day's papor contains several reports of accidents to merchant Ships due to the operations of war. In home waters are thousands or mines, which it will take a considerable time to clean up, and some minefiel h lie over the nest fishing grounds, and some of them lie, naturally, in' the fairway of merchant shipping. Consequently. although ships are free to sail at their own sweet Tvill. it is still necessary for them to follow carefully the Admiralty instructions. The compulsory pilotage for ships of more than 1500 tons in certain zones has also been abolished. The restrictions of railway travel are' now being attacked, and a committeo has been set up to point out what aro wartime restrictions on public travel that can, without detriment to the service, be modified or withdrawn. The first fruits of this investigation are announced to-day in tho removal of the rule forbidding the issue of season tickets to persons outside a certain radius. FREEDOM FOR WIRELESS.

But perhaps the most noteworthy return to peace conditions is the freedom uhich has just been given, for the use of wireless. On November 28tli, a little more than a fortnight after the armistice, the Cunard Company received from the Carmania -what was probably t.h'i first commercial wireless message from a steamer, since the wireless was put under control at the beginning of the war. Sho wired that she was due at Liverpool bar at a particular time with a large .number of passengers and mails from New York. Since then thiols have moved considerably, and to-day it is announced that arrangements havcbeen made for the resumption of the service of Press telegrams to and from North America by the Marconi stations in Ireland and Canada. Motorists rejoice, too, inasmuch as they are allowed a certain amount of petrol for short joy-rides, the radius < f which at present must be within thirty miles.