PRESS BUREAU'S POWERS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12539, 10 May 1915, Page 2

PRESS BUREAU'S POWERS.

WHAT IT CAN AND WHAT IT

CANNOT DO

The following interesting document shows exactly what the Press Bureau does, with tllie extent and limitation of its powers. It is issued because there appears to be. some misapprehension a.-.- to the function of the Bureau, and to make the matter plain in the public (interest: — 1. The primary duty of the staff of the office Is to censor all Press matter submitted. This is done by naval, military, and- civil officers under the direction* of the director and his assistants.

2. All Press messages to, from or through London pass- through the office of necessity, and are duly censored in accordance with instructions received from the Foreign Office, the War Office, and other departments of State. 3. Such Press articles and: illustrations as are submitted to the Bureau are* censored in the same way. The submission is voluntary, and the great majority of those respons.ble have, with commendable loyalty and, \vith_ greatinconvenience, fulfilled the obligation which was undertaken at the beginning of the war. Thc-re whio do publish without submission do so on their own responsibility and are subject to the penalties provided for breach of the regulations under the Defence of the Realm Act.

4. To keep the Press acquainted with the subjects to which pub'fc reference is considered dangerous to the success of naval and military operations, or prejudicial l in other. ways to the interests of the Empire or our allies, instructions are issued from time to time at the instance of the .great Departments. These instructions take the form of confidential notices to the Press, and they are either prohibitory or advisory. The power to enforce these instructions, or even to initiate proceedings against those who evade or ignore, them, rests solely with the authorities of the Admiralty and-the War Office. The Press Bureau has no power to do more than communicate the instructions to the Press. 5. The Press Bureau is the medium through which the great Departments announce to the Press and the public news in regard- to naval and military operations, casualties, and other matters, as and when the .Department .thih'ksi it desirable to do so. 6. It should 1 be realised that delay in passing oroofs for publication is often unavoidable, owing to the necessity of referring to other Departments questions on which inquiries may have to be made. An: appearance of inconsistency also arises when messages' and articles dealing with the same subject.are, submitted] at different times, between which the circumstances may have changed. The most fruitful source of complaint, however, is the publication of unauthorised., injudicious, and some- : times dangerous statements by a few | newspapers while the great majority are endeavoring to fulfil loyally the general undertaking to fulfil loyally the fi-eneral undertaking on which the censorship was originally founded. As already explained, the Press l Bursan. has no power to deal with offenders, but the director ventures to appeal! to the Press as a- whole, and in its own interests, to ob-erve scrupulously the undertaking, which can only work fairly if followed by all. This last point is a- matter of great importance to the Press, and' so' far as was possible, those responsible for the Bureau have endeavored to secure' uniformity of submission and equality of treatment, but their first duty must always bo to prevent the publication of any news wh.ich would be valuable to the enemy or might jeopardise the lives of those who are fighting for their country's cause.