Mr. Hore-Belisha's Journalism
The questions asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday regarding the censoring of an article by Mr. Hore-Belisha in a Sunday newspaper appear little calcu- lated to serve any useful purpose. No one has ever doubted the necessity of some newspaper-censorship in war-time, least of all the newspapers themselves. They have co- operated willingly, and in the main the arrangement is working perfectly smoothly. It is not clear whether it is the view of the Prime Minister's questioners that there should be no censorship for anyone, or that there should be censorship for everyone except Mr. Hore-Belisha, or that the particular modifications it was desired to make in Mr. Hore-Belisha's article were unwarranted. There can be little doubt about the opinion of the general public on the matter. There would be profound dissatisfaction if, when ex-Cabinet Ministers write newspaper articles, they received treatment in the least degree more indulgent than that accorded to professional journalists. Indeed, the fact that an ex-Minister is known to possess inside information on many subjects is a reason why his words should be checked with particular care—either by himself or by the censor.
Previous page
