INITIAL GAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20043, 15 September 1939, Page 8

INITIAL GAIN

NAZI PLANS FOR WAR ALLIES RECOVERING OPINIONS OF LORDS' MINISTRY OF INFORMATION (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Sept. 14. In the House of Lords. Lord Snell commented on yesterday’s Government statement in both Houses on the war situation. He said that the position of German submarines on the outbreak of the war indicated in his view that Germany had been prepared to strike at a particular time. "We may think, I hope, that the initial advantage will quickly pass away,” he said. The leaflet r aid over Germany, Lord Snell said, had been so great a success that the German Government, apparently afraid of the truth, had decreed a threat of death to anyone even picking up the leaflets. Lord Snell added that the clear vision of the British people put the responsibility for the war precisely where it lay—upon a group of adventurers who had cbtai'.ned rule by power in Germany. Lord Macmillan said he was in entire agreement with what was said as to the true functions of the Ministry of Information. “It is a Ministry of expression, not a Ministry of repression, least of all a Ministry of depression.” he said. He appreciated fully both the need of news for the public and the reluctance of the defence services to talk of what they were doing, but in our democracy, even the fighting services must become publi-city-minded. He had an assurance from the Defence Ministers of every co-opera-tion.

Comparing the Ministry with that in Berlin, Lord Macmillan said that Britain sufTered under a handicap, most of the propaganda and most of the information from Germany were lies.

“I would rather that we gave less information and true information than issue to neutral countries and foreign countries a vast mass of material which is unreliable, and untrue,” he said.

In the long run, the press would appreciate that the Ministry of Information dealt with authentic news and authentic statements- only.