CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1915, Page 5

CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

THE NORTHCLIFFE PRESS. EXPOSED BY SIR JOHN SIMON. ENDANGERING THE COUNTRY. Received Dec. 1, 8.50 p.m. London, Nov. 30. In ithe House of Commons Sir John Simon referred to an article that appeared in the Russky Slavo on the Times' and Daily Mail's attitude. He said: "As soon as I discovered that it was not a statement of the opinion held in Russia I wrote an explanation to the Times. Sinee then Lord Northcliffe's papers have made groundless charges against me, and have even suggested that the paragraph was inspired by the British Government, and they made an insinuation against my honor and good faith. These charges are absolutely untrue."

Sir John Simon continued: "The question was: How far had the Harmsworth press, however' unintentionally, contributed to the propaganda of the enemy? This could not have been decided by a foreign correspondent, but it was a question of fact. DAILY MAIL'S POLLY. "The Daily Mail on October 11 published a map headed, 'The Road to India,' at the moment when the Germans had entered Belgrade. It- was obvious what use the German propaganda could make of such a mischievous instrument to influence Eastern opinion. "German newspapers republished the map as a supplement, which was distributed gratis to neutral nations in the East by the German Consul-General. The Germans added the inscription, 'Britain's Empire in trembling fear of Germany,' and it was printed in seven languages.

"The map was not submitted to the Press Bureau, and nothing cm bow be done to recall the damage."

FOULING THEIR NEST. Sir John Simon next referred to Mr. Linchan'a despatch on the battle of Loos. Tie limes suggested that the sentences praising the bravery of the Germans had been excised. That was untrue. In Spain there are a certain number of pro-German papers that are regularly supplied with matter from Germany. What was lamentable was that nine-tenths of the matter originally came from Lord NbrthclifTe's papers. A voice: "Why don't you suppress the papers?" Sir John Simon: *'l am going to deal with that in a moment." Was this continual fouling of our own .nest calculated to encourage our solvere at the front? In connection with a London evening paper, he had been asked if he could not take a gentler way. What he was now taking was the gentler way, and if it was not effective it was perfectly possible to take a more strenuous action. It was not a case wherein he could take a single instance and base thereon strong measures; it was a question of tendency, find was therefore more difficult to check and control.

NO PERSONAL DIFFERENCES. He continued: "I have no personal quarrel with Lord Northcliffc, and don't know him. Lord Northcliffe appears to be like the prophets of Baal, who, in moments of excitement, had an odd habit of leaping on the altars they had made. It is not too much to say that one of the greatest German assets is the encouragement given to her people and the concern created in the minds of our friends by the false picture almost daily presented to the world by a portion of our press. They have presented a caricature of the country deprived of the very militarism which gives it strength. I do not make imputations, except those of recklessness, folly, and failure to appreciate that what they have been doing has become a public danger. "I think I have done my duty in bringing the master fairly before the House. No papers' services can atone or excuse a course of conduct which I belifive to be threatening the safety of the country."