THE CENSOR AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 284, 20 August 1918, Page 5

THE CENSOR AND THE WAR

REACTION IN PUBLIC SENTIMENT

OPINIONS OF PRESS DELEGATES

London, August 18. Lord Northcliffe entertained the Australasian, Canadian, and American pressmen at luncheon in the courtyard of "Tho Times" office., The guests inEluded Mr. Massoy, Sir Joseph Ward, and Sir Thomas Jlackou/.ic, and a host of prominent overseas representatives. Lord Northcliffe, after paying a tribute to tho war efforts of the Overseas Dominions, said tho Americans had proved to 1m "tho goods." What (lie Germans had called a mob in uniform had j.roved to lie an entirely now and most efficient kind of army; lie estimated that America's potential output of air engines was far greater (hail Hie combined output of Austria and Germany or of the whole of the British Empire. America could produce ten thousand air motors a month. America's efforts in transporting troops, in food production, and in tdiinbuilding wero unimaginable, and .were notable for a punctuality far in advanced the Government's promises. Criticising the Bri. tish Government's censorship methods, Lord Northcliffe oaid the world had novcr realised tho magnitude of Britain's silent effort. The best of proof of what Britain had done existed in tho casualty lists, which tho ci-nsor had jiot permitted to be known by us or our allies. The Germans knew our casualties to a man. He estimated that wo had 900.000 lolled during tho war, and that last year our casualties fero over 800,000. Those' figures were sufficient answer to tho German propaganda, and wero proof that England was ready to fight to the last. He stated that every newspaper in Britain was subsidised, which.. indicated tho lack of demand for .such publications.

Mr. E, Jr. Eacket ("Auckland Heraid") replied oil bohalf of tho Now Zea- ' v land pressmen. and Mr. Campbell Jones (Sydney "Sun") on behalf ol' the Australian pressmen. Sir. Jones declared , that tho British censor was a juvenile compared with tho Australian censor. He believed that a'great injuay had been done to the Allied cause by tho lack of public understanding about mnny vital, aspects of the war. Ninety per cent, of this misunderstanding was duo to the censorship. Ho gavo as an f-xamplo tho improvement in recrniting in Australia. , after British reverses, aml_ added: "If you had k Sedan yon would have all Australia over here."—Bontor. .