PRESS BOYCOTT.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1921, Page 5

PRESS BOYCOTT.

REBUKE TO THE TIMES. STATE NEWS WITHHELD. “AN OFFENSIVE ATTACK” By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received July 19, 10.5 p.m. London, July I'B. In the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd George, replying to questions regarding the withdrawal of Foreign Office facilities fionwthe Tim??, said tbit in view of a peculiarly offensive attack oi Lord Curzon (Secretary for Foreign Affairs) special facilities for inquiries bad been withdrawn, but official news was still available to the Times through the ordinary news agencies. Mr. Lloyd George said that an attack at such a moment seemed to fall below the nerma: standard of British journalism. For years past facilities had been given the representatives of newspapers to visit Government offices and make inquiries, and the Times took full advantage of 'this privilege; but courtesy should 'beget courtesy. The fact that the Times pursued a virulent attack on the Government, and notably on the head of the Government, had not in the lease influenced Government departments in offering facilities to the Times’ representatives. He (Mr. Lloyd George) never personally made a single effort to induce the withdrawal of a single facility from the Times or its syndicated i papers, but the Times, on Wednesday last, published an offensive and mischievous attack on Lord Curzon, with special reference to momentous negotiations in which he was engaged, concerning not only the British Government but the representatives of the Dominions and India. Ho passed by the question of /taste, but it was difficult to overlook an attack creating personal prejudice in foreign countries against a public servant of high repute, charged with a responsible negotiation on behalf of the British Empire. No reputable journal of any party would have published such an attack, which was entirely unprecedented.

The Premier said the Times was still supposed to represent both educated and official opinion in this country ; but the real facts were only gradually becoming known abroad. Therefore, it was essential that the Government should mark strongly its disapproval of the attack on Lord Curzon, and therefore the special favors accorded the by tradition in |he past will be entirely •withdrawn.—4)Us.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

A cable from London last week stated: The Daily News understands that as a result of a leader in ‘Wednesday’s Times alleging personal disqualifications of Mr. Lloyd George and Lord Curzon as representativ's of Britain, at rhe armaments conference, both the Foreign Office and the Prime Minister’s secretary have broken off relations with all the Northcliffe papers, and are refusing to give the papers