The Chainless Mind

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 426, 22 August 1947, Page 5

The Chainless Mind

T is an encouraging fact that when the House of Commons went into committee last week on its Supplies and Services Bill -a measure for bringing all the resources of the community, and Whe activities of the individual, into the absolute control of the Govern-ment-the Opposition moved, and | the Minister accepted, an amendment that "nothing in the Act. should be held to authorise the suppression or suspension of any newspaper, periodical, book, or , other publication." Although it is \_.not likely that suppressions would ’ follow if the Government were free to order them, it is better to have such issues settled beyond the possibility of doubt. In war, if the danger is acute enough, we surrender all liberties but our right to change the people who take them away. In peace the mind must remain chainless, with all reasonable methods of expressing it. It is not much use being free to think if we are not free to speak; and since print carries thoughts to the ends of the earth, the human mind is only as free

as print (and now broadcasting ) ' is allowed to go. If there are large y -_ areas of the world in which it must still travel under control, it is a stimulating thought that Britain has remembered, even in this desperate extremity, to guarantee its free passage at home. It is in fact roughly true that thoughts expressed in English travel freely where English is the national speech; though it is possible to think of exceptions. We can think of them because they are excep-tions-exceptions that all lovers of freedom deplore, and as often as they can, resist. It will of course be remembered by some readers that the Government which has so promptly guaranteed the freedom ‘of print against suppression limited it not so long ago by cut-. ting down supplies of paper. That may or may not have been necessary for economic reasons, but it. was at least not done for political or religious reasons, and if it had been, and had been so regarded by the public, the Government that did it would not now be in power.