Australian objections to censor's deletions.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1942, Page 4

Australian objections to censor's deletions.

New Zealand Press Association.

Special Australian Correspondent.

Sydney, Aug. 17. "This is the people's war, and thepeople are entitled to read and see everythlng that, consistent with security, can be released." This declaration was made by the Sydney Sun in a leading article headed "That Suppression Complex." The article • was part of widespread protests j which followed complaints by the Deputy-Leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr. W. M. Hughes, that he had been a victim of "political censorship." Earlier this month Mr, Hughes made a statement about military operations in Papua. He criticised the leadership, lack of pre-vision, energy and offensive spirit which, ■ he contended, had permitted Japanese landings in the BunaGoona sector. These statements were pubiished in Australia and New Zealand, but Mr. Hughes alleges that "vital passages" were deleted by censorship from dispatches lodged for publication in England and America. Mr. Hughes claimed that the meaning of his statement was thus "distorted and mutilated." Every major newspaper in Australia took up the cudgels on behalf of the inherent democratic right of free expression and criticism. "The censor's true function is to prevent information of value reaching the enemy," said thiSydney Morning Herald. "Immediately he moves outside of that domain he is in danger of entrenching upon a cherished democratic preserve— the right of free expression of opinion. Censorship then acquires a political flavour. Censor as Arbiter. "Honest reporting, whether of news or views, can do this c'ountry no harm overseas. On the contrary, grave injury can be done both externally and internally by gro.wth of a censorship which sets itself ujr as an arbiter, not 'only of what informgtipn should be kept from the enemy, but of what opinions shall be withheld from ourselves and our friends." The incident was discussed by the Australian Advisory War Council, when the Government reaffirmed the principle of censorship on- security grounds only. Before the council meeting the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, was asked at a. Press conference whether censorship had ever reached the heights achieved during the last war, when Mr. Hughes was Prime Minister. "Yes, most certainly, but not the depths," he answered. (During the last war Mr. Curtin was proceeded against under Security Regulations for statements on the conscription issue). "The merits of Mr. Hughes's criticism. and his own alleged predilection for the use of the blue pencil during the last war are quite extraneous to the issue raised by the suppression, extending in one passage to complete inversion, of his views by the censor," comments the Sydney Morning Herald. "A vital principle of democratic liberty is at stake." 'Our most cherished democratic right — freedom of speech— must not be whittled away under cloak of wartime emergency," says the Daily Telegraph. "Every journal with integrity will fight to the last threats to freedom of discussion, on which we believe the wellbeing of our people depends."