26 AUGUST 1960, Page 4

Tightening the Gag

TE Government of Ceylon has shown itselfto be unusually, far-sighted. Normall■ 3 administration. which is backing towards at to• cracy waits. until the newspapers begin to r test, and then gags them on the grounds ttU" they are unpatriotic or irresponsible. Ceylon has reversed the process: the newspapers are to he silenced before they can protest. Rubber and 10 plantations will not at once be nationaliel.l. because Ceylon badly needs foreign capital; but as some of the things, the newspapers' might say about conditions in Ceylon might discourage the foreign capitalist, the government has deemed it wise to take them over, to make sure that every prospect pleases—at least as presented in the press.

The usual excuses are being made: chief among them that the press will in fact be more free, because the shares will be widely distri- buted among members of the public. But the more widely the shares are diffused, the gretcr will be the power of the State. Mrs. Bandarana ke, admittedly, has now changed her mind about direct intervention; her government, she say's' does not propose to take up any part of the ,share capital in the newspapers itself. But why should it? It can easily direct them without holding any of the capital. provided that it can spread the shares wide enough to prevent any individual or group from gaining control. Nor is her excuse anybody can start a rival paper' valid. Who is going to start a rival paper, with the precedent of appropriation by the State the moment its oppo- sition looks like becoming effective?