Attack on Australian Mail And Phone Censorships

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 52, 4 March 1944, Page 5

Attack on Australian Mail And Phone Censorships

Received Friday, 10.20 p.m. CANBERRA, March 3. A secret manufacturing formula sent to an Australian firm from America and obtained by communications censors who opened the letter in transit has been passed on to three Commonwealth Government Departments. This allegation was made by Senator Leckie (United Australia Party) in an attack on the censorship in the Senate to-day. He added that the United States firm was now refusing to reveal further information. In view of the fact that the Munitions Department had stated it would set up its own factories to compete with private enterprise after the war, the matter was a serious one. In order to obtain confidential information two other Australian firms had sent men overseas and had instructed them not to send back one line of information in writing. The Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin) has proposed the setting up of a Parliamentary Committee on censorship to investigate the alleged breaches of Parliamentary privilege. The Opposition, however, is demanding a more embracing probe to investigate the censorship of Australia’s internal mail and telephone systems.