OVERSEAS PRESS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 102, 25 January 1943, Page 4

OVERSEAS PRESS

Share Of News Facilities (Received January 24, 7 p.m.) LONDON, January 23.

The' Empire Press Union’s chief problem has been to ensure that the British overseas' press receives a fair share of the scanty news facilities, states the annual report of the council of the union. Almost all news has to be gathered, or rather squeezed, from Government public relations bureaux. Some of these offices are valuable, but it can hardly be said that their output of usable press material has been proportionate to the expansion of public relations staffs. The fighting service departments, especially the Admiralty, have been accused of undue reluctance to release material which, xvithout helping the enemy, could assist the Press war effort. The success of the Empire-wide penny press rate is illustrated by the increase of press traffic in 1942 to 92,000,000 words, compared with 25,000,000 in 1938, for which reason it is not surprising that there are delays, particularly on the Australian circuit. Various plans for expediting traffic are being considered, but it is unlikely that normal speed can be attained while war difficulties remain. The 8.8. C. still received preferential treatment from some official quarters, but the council has been assured that the 8.8. C. is subject to equal censorship with the Press. Strong impression remained, however, among Empire correspondents, that the 8.8. C. enjoyed definite advantages because its censors were members of the 8.8. C. staff, jilthough their appointment is nominally subject to the Chief Censor’s approval.