WAR CENSORSHIP CRITICIZED

Southland Times, Issue 24877, 17 October 1942, Page 5

WAR CENSORSHIP CRITICIZED

Delay In Announcing Losses (Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 15. Newspapers strongly criticize the 65day delay in announcing the loss of three United States cruisers sunk in the Solomons. They were lost on August 9 in the same engagement as the Canberra. “The loss, which is announced, raises the whole question of the wisdom of our war censorship and information policy,” says The New York Times, which declares, that “a fuller statement on our naval losses at Pearl Harbour is now long overdue. There is strong reason to doubt if the delay of such a length in announcing the loss of the three cruisers is justified. Accounts make it seem probable that the Japanese had a fair notion of the damage they had done. Although their claims that day were extravagant they specifically included as sunk two heavy cruisers of the Astoria class and two more cruisers of the Australia class.

“The Australian Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, waited only 10 days before admitting the loss of the Canberra. The United States Navy declared that its own statement would be delayed until replacements were sent. The fact that the belated admission of losses came just a day before the announcement of the sinking of a Japanese cruiser and four destroyers will lead many to conclude—however unjustly—that the bad news was held up in this case until there was good news to offset it.” The New York Daily News says: “News from the Solomons is slow in coming through but we cannot help wondering why it is not until 65 days after the event that the American people are notified of the loss of three big cruisers.”