THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH

Taihape Daily Times, 12 November 1917, Page 2

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH

AEE WE WINNING THE WAR? (By J. M. Hogge, M.P.; in the London Weekly Despatch.) “Are we winning the war?” writes one of the correspondents. “I am just an ordinary man in the street. I have u family to support and my only son is fighting in France. I begin to realise that none of us “general pub; lie ’’ knows very much about the war. Wo arc not permitted to know much. Why? We pay the bills, we make the sacrifices, we do the fighting. I am tired of being kept in the dark. . •

Why not toll us in simple language the truth about the progress of all phases of the war? We want to know about the submarines, about Italy, about Ealonica, about Greece and the Greek Army, about Roumania, about the, campaigns in Egypt, in Mesopotamia, in German East Africa, about America, about shipping and food, and about the enemy ’s troubles. “ Why should we not be better informed about cur own war?” he continues. “Is it not time for the Government to revolutionise the whole archaic system of war publicity and take the public muqU morq frankly iijto Uts confidence?” i might have written this letter myself. I am a fairly live member of the House. Yet I don’t know. I have access to secret sessions and yet I don’t know. Secret sessions are a farce The last secret session but one lasted for two days —a Thursday and a Friday. I went on the Thursday and learned nothing that I did not know before —nothing that the public did not know. I learned so little that I did not bother to go back on the Friday but had a holiday instead!

The value of a secret session may be gauged by the fact that I did not think it worth while to attend. Obviously if the Government cannot interest a member of the House they cannot interest the general public. The necessity of doing so is apparent. The war is now no novelty. The interest is wearing* off. The necessity of maintaining interest is paramount, yet just at the moment when it is most imperative the public is being fobbed off with less information than ever. Take an instance. During the recent raid on London thousands of people saw more than 20 German aeroplanes over London. The official communique saw only 20 Hundreds of people saw British machines fall, Yet it required a coroner’s inquest to inform us of the fact that one brave airman died, facing the foe. The official communique for a hero was given by a coroner!

Inch incidents set people thinking. Tucy begin to wonder whether a Government, which is so slip-shod in little things may not be concealing things that matter At any rate, if it is unfair to put it that way, very many wonder how far everything is as well as we arc led to understand.

Lot us put a questionnaire to someone “ Somewhere in Whitehall. ’ ’ Why do so many .people think the war is going to end soon? Why do we require so often to make groat exertions to induce people to continue their efforts at war work? Why is there industrial unrest among workmen earning as many pounds as Tommy is earning shillings? Why is it necessary continually to increase the size of the War Cabinet ? Why does the War Cabinet trouble about anything else than the war ? • What is going to happen if Russia cannot get her troops in hand ?, What is wrong with the Navy that it requires so drastic an overhauling by Sir Eric Geddes ? When are hundreds of men going to be sent out of the country who have boon here for ages and men who have not had leave for over a year and more coming home ? And so one could go on and on and on with more pertinent queries if there were not a censor. People ask questions because they want to know. The fact that they ask them proves that the Government docs not give what the public legitimately demand.

r lho blessed phrase "not in the public interest" not only a multitude of omissions but, what is worse, a multitude of commissions. The Government ought to deal intelligently and fairly with the public. That is if they wish the public to understand the war. Very few people -will read a catalogue if they can look in a shop window. The history of tills war has been written in casualty lists, not in incidents. I was in France recently with the Scottish troops. I heard the story of their exploits at first hand, and both they and I wondered why they couldn’t be told at home. A war that is sent over a tape day by day, like Stock Exchange quotations to a club, will not inspire enthusiasm or give any real idea of the sacrifices made and the hardships endured. People at homo, want to be inspired. They want to be enthused. The martinets of Whitehall think that the public 1 should take its news like medicine, ! three times a day utter meals with ' half a tumblerful of water.

The public are entitled to war nows. Only one front sends us any regularly. [ We get news of the other fronts as often as the men get leave. It baffles me to understand why the war cannot be written up. I have no doubt that a communique which says “10 enemy machines wore brought down and 7 of ours are missing” is just the kind of summary that gladdens the heart of officialdom. It is a statement of fact. But what use are facts if the spirit of the warfare cannot be convoyed to the people at home People at home arc in a quandary. Their hopes are raised and dashed alternately. A few weeks ago we were expecting the fall of Lens, and then there came a check of some kind. The City filled rumour to the brim only a few weeks ago and gave us Ostcnd. The truth gave us a shock. All the time the Government harries men. Witness the revelations at the Select Committee on Medical Re-examinations. Harrying men means disgruntling a large circle of their friends. Can this be avoided. I think it can .The British people can take its news in strongdoses. I can well remember the notorious black week in the Boer War. The public did not like it, but it did -not flinch. I am not suggesting that at the moment we are in a black week. Rather am I making the point that we are ignorant.

We arc paying out money like water. We are heaping up a colossal taxation for the future. Our ships are being sunk in considerable numbers. The Aus trian Army, annihilated several times over is still in the field. The Germane with all his defeats, is still strong enough to keep us far out of Germany The Geramn fleet has not yet been destroyed. The War Office is still demanding men .Our air defences are not yet equal to their task. America is only in the cradle of her effort. Rumania is only how beginning to come, into the official communiques, Palestine is a mystery, Egypt a Sphinx, Mesopotamia an anxiety.Labour is restless. There is an undrworld 'of agitation. Russians in this country are debating with workmen s and soldiers ’ committees. Canada is concerned with conscription. More things are centrifugal, not centripetal. The moment seems to suggest stock taking and concentration. Every sane man cuts out all side lines in his business that do not pay and runs the lines that pay. We read of another Conference in Paris, and I dare say presently- we shall read again that as a result the scheme of the Allies is again perfected. But we have heard that story before.

I think Britain wants to take a stronger hand in the game. We are.car!}ing our Allies in more senses than one. We onught to cany them where we want to go.

It seems incredible that the resources of the Allies, properly pooled and directed, cannot make a quick impression on the enemy. I may bo all wrong, of course, but that is how it occurs to me. Because I do not understand it is reasonable evidence of the fact that the public does not know enough. There must be a screw loose somewhere—an unwise distribution of energy. It suggests that those in authority arc hoping that something will happen which will cover up the humdrum ding-dong of apparently endless conflict and that when it docs not happen they live again in hope of something else. The last Government went down to an inglorious grave on the polipy *-*! Wait and Sec. This one came in on a policy of <'Do it Now.” A shrewd suspicion is abroad that what they are doing now is waiting to see. Again, I ma y bc ' vr °ng, but I suggest wo tost it by having the hard truth served up to us. For Heaven’s sake let us know n here wo are, what is expected of us, what task is still in front of us. The tmth at any rate will make us free.

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