CENSORS’ RIGHTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20032, 2 September 1939, Page 9

CENSORS’ RIGHTS

CONTROL IN N.Z. MAILS AND TELEGRAMS AUTHORITY FOR SEARCH SUPERVISION OF PRESS COMPREHENSIVE .POWERS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day.. The appointment of a Censorship and Publicity Board is provided for in the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations issued last night. Members will foe the Prime Minister, the Et. Hon. M. J. Savage, the Minister cf Ddfence, the Hen, F. Jones, the chiefs of the three defence services, the permanent head of the Prime MinDeDartment, the DirectorGeneral of' the Pest and Telegraph Department, and any other persons the Prime (Minister, who. will be chairman of the board, may appoint. The Governor-General may appoint to administer the telegraph and postal censorship the Controller of Censorship, who will have power to appoint a postal censor. The latter may open, detain or delay any postal packet intended for transmission, either within or beyond New Zealand. The controller may close any'telegraph office. A telegraph censor may also be appointed with similar powers to those of the postal censor.

In time &f war or at any time when war is reasonably to be apprehended, a telegraphic message addressed to any place bey end New Zealand shall be accepted for transmission only at the sender’s risk and subject to the following conditions: That it is written wholly in plain language, either English or French; that it does not contain, either in the address, text or signature any code address or code word of any kind; that it beais the sender’s name at the end of the text, that, without notice to the sender, it may be stopped, delayed or otherwise dealt with in all respects at the discretion cf the controller; that no claim in respect of the message, whether for reimbursement of the sum paid for transmission or otherwise, shall be recognised. Possible Exemptions

It is provided that no person shall communicate or attempt to communicate by post or telegraph or any other manner with any person, firm or country in enemy territory. The board may, if it is desirable, grant an exemption from this provision.

Restrictions are placed on. communications likely to be injurious to public safety. iNo person shall otherwise than through the post office send any letter, or other written communication, of such a nature that, in the ordinary course of correspondence or business, would be transmitted through this channel.

The authorities are authorised to seize and hand to the censor any letter or other communication carried by a person embarking or landing at a New Zealand port or aerodrome. Baggage may be also retained for search, and the person concerned may also be searched without warrant.

Director of Publicity

The regulations provide for the appointment of a Director of Publicity to exercise control over published matter. It is to be illegal for any unauthorised person to have in his possession any information on- the following matters: Number and description of armament, equipment, disposition, movements, or the condition of any units of the army, navy or air force or of any British or allied merchant vessels.

The -press censorship also applies to information of this nature and to the possession or publication of photographs or subversive reports dealing with similar subjects.

“Subversive reports” include reports likely to prejudice the recruiting or training of the forces and reports likely to undermine public confidence in banking or currency. These restrictions -are applied to periodicals as well as daily publications.