PRESS CONFERENCE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2524, 10 June 1909, Page 5

PRESS CONFERENCE

THE PRESS AND THE NAVY DISCUSSED.

LORD ROSEBERY’S SPEECH CRITICISED.

United Press Association —Copyright

L-ONDON, June 8. The Conference discussed the question of the Press and the Navy. Mr McKenna, First Lord of the. Admiralty, who presided, urged placing the navy above, party, and making it an Imperial question in the sense of partnership in the navy being common to all. Sir Edward,,Grey, Minister for Foreign. Affairs,. discussed the functions of press criticism. He held that there should not he partisan newspapers in war time. They should show patriotism by silence on many things they knew. Lord Cromer urged stricter control of the vernacular press. Mr Ward (editor of the Sydney “Daily Telegraph”) made a suitable speech. No Australian comments on Lord Rosebery’s speech have yet reached London. BERLIN, June 8. German newspapers contain bitter comments on Lord Rosebery’s speech. Even the Liberal organ “Vossiche Zeitung” describes the British nation as the victim of overheated imagination and hallucination of persecution. NEW YORK, June 8.

The New York '“Times,” commenting on Lord Rosebery’s speech, declares that no man could do so much •as the Kaiser to quieten apprehensions of war.

THE INDIAN VERNACULAR PRESS

LORD CROMER’S OPINIONS

(Received June 10, 12.50 a.m.) (LONDON, June 9.■Lord Criomer, in a Short speech, said •he was convinced of the unwisdom of encouraging vernacular pressmen to undertake political martyrdom, remembering that their sufferings would not be acute. He hoped that some of the Indian delegates would tell the Conference whether there was any connection between the wild writings (of certain vernacular newspapers and the r commission of the outrages which had shocked the moral sence of the couiitry. Referring to the necessity of editors firmly handling difficult situations, he said that though ho did not pretend to agree with all the views of the late Mr. David Syme, he could mot withhold admiration for his courage. Mr. Surrendra Nath Benerji (edinf “The Bengali’.’), said he had ho hesitation in .declaring that the vernacular press (had no sympathy with outrages.’ He believed that under Viscount Moray's rule India would experience a great improvement.