THE BIG EXPLOSION AT OCHTA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 3

THE BIG EXPLOSION AT OCHTA

HOW SENSATIONAL NEWS QQT OUT The big explosion at the Ochta Munifa'ons Factories in. Eussia re- , suited in such a serioiis shortage of munitions.for the armies on the Eastern front that the consequences : affected the whole campaign; forced tho great' Russian retreat, and delayed the ; Allies'' offensive in the West. , How the news leaked out ' its disclosed in the following incident in the House of Commons. In tho. House of Commons recently the Home Seoretary -was asked whether his attention, had.'been called to tho circumstances : under which the, explosions at the i munition. factories at Ochta, Russia, were first announced in tn« London ,Press; . whether he wa6 aware that ou Monday, September 13; one journal.gave the.facts, and on Wednesday, September 15, another journal also gave an account, while on September 16 two other journals were- refused permission to state the facts already published; and why was this distinction made;- why, also, in view of tho alleged deficiency iii the Russian supply of munitions, it was held right to withhold the news for so long. In reply, Sir John Simon said: The report referred to, whether true or false, had,never been submitted to the Press Bureau and the Bureau knew nothing of it until Monday, September 13. Oft that day, without any previous submission, to the Press Bureau, the Amalgamated Press„pubiislied 'the story in a serial called "The, Great War." That night "Tho Daily News" applied for permission to publish, and "The Star" repeated this application on September 14.- Both applications had'to - be refused upon the ground that the publication of such matter, might apparently contravene Regulation 18 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, which prohibited tho publication without lawful authority of any information with respect to the war materials of any of .His jMajesty's Allies, but the Press Bureau referred tho matter to the War Office.

In the meantime, again without any previous. - submission to the Press Bureau, the "Evening News" published a report in their principal editions of September 15, and in view of all tho circumstances, - the W ar Office decided that the,matter might be released -for publication.., "Have the faots been brought to the notice of tho Director of Public Prosecutions?" the Home Seoretary was asked. . '~ • ; , '~

The Home Secretary: Yes,