HOSTILE REPORTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 11 August 1937, Page 9

HOSTILE REPORTS

NEWSPAPERMAN ACCUSED. GERMAN STATEMENT. HOSPITALITY ABUSED. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received August 11, 10.30 a.m. BERLIN, Aug. 10. An official report states: “The British Government has been requested to use its influence with the Times to recall Mr Ebbutt, as otherwise his permit will be cancelled. This measure proves necessary because Mr Ebbutt lor years has done his reporting only in a spirit hostile to Germany, thus abusing the hospitality granted him.” The Borsen Zeitung declares: “It can certainly be expected that the measures taken against Mr Ebbutt will be taken against other correspondents who have actively looked into Germany’s domestic politics. It is an open secret that a number of foreign correspondents recently working in co-operation with the enemies of the State have used information from them for false reports.” GERMAN JOURNALISTS. ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE WORK. (British Official Wireless./ Received August 11, 11.30 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 10. The Times says: “It can be stated with absolute certainty that the termination of the right of the three German journalists to remain in London has nothing whatever to do with the way in which they discharged their professional duties. They have clearly been asked to go on account of activities which lay outside their professional activities, and it may become necessary to state precisely what these activities have been.” The Times, referring to the projected action against their Berlin correspondent, says that there could he no question of replacing Mr Ebbutt by a more amenable correspondent.” EXPULSION .OF JOURNALISTS. LONDON, Aug. 10. The diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph understands that Lord Halifax, who is acting as Foreign Secretary during Mr Eden’s absence, pointed out to Herr Woerniann, German Charge d’Affaires, the deplorable effect Germany’s request for the removal from Berlin of Mr Norman Ebbutt as chief representative of the Times would have on British public opinion. Mr Ebbutt is aged 43. He has worked in the Times Berlin office since 1926 and has been chief correspondent since 1927. The Morning Post’s Berlin correspondent says Mr Ebbutt lias been repeatedly abused by the German Press, notably, by the Nazi paper Angriff which is closely connected with Dr. Goebbels. The Daily Chronicle recalls that Herr Langen (one of the expelled German journalists), who is a close personal friend of General Goering, was expelled from Italy in February without explanation. • The Manchester Guardian says the three Germans have not been expelled as journalists but for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. The British view is that if Germany wants her relations with. Britain to be as friendly as possible she should not take reprisals where none are called for.