SPECTATOR CRITICES THE N.Z. PRESS.

Shannon News, 28 February 1922, Page 3

SPECTATOR CRITICES THE N.Z. PRESS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—We see by your contemporary that our l'ress lias been honoured by Lord Northcliffe’s approbation. What that may be worth may be gauged by his own confession that, while accepting the generous hospitality of America he chuckled to himself over any opportunities he could make for breaking her laws. In fine contrast to this enterprising behaviour was the declaration of the Japanese Ambassador: “I should not dream of infringing the laws of a country where 1 was a guest, nor should 1 expect a visitor to my country, to break its laws.” Can anyone expect a paper in which this noble lord is interested to be conscientious and trustworthy? Old settlers remember the days when our papers were most punctilious in giving only reliable information, but especially since the beginning of the war they have entirely lost the con- *■ fldence and respect of the community, llow can it he otherwise, when they tacitly acknowledge that they have lost their own?, What paper dares to head its “leader” now with such noble words as these: “To thine own

sell' be true, thou can’st- not then be false to any man”; or, ‘‘Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, thy God’s, and Truth’s”; or again, ‘‘Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.” Yet every one ol' those headed our New Zealand papers only a lew years ago, and indeed the contents were worthy of them. No wonder that they have been dropped. Will our papers ever again be worthy of them? Not by swallowing open-mouthed the flatteries of interested visitors, who. go away with .tongue in cheek and a wink, to grin at our ability to swallow unlimited sugar and butter without feeling the sickness which a more self-respecting community would experience.—l am, etc., SPECTATOR.