Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol 1, No. 12 June 22, 1938
Censorship Farce Radio Debates
Censorship Farce Radio Debates
When the N.Z.U.S.A. Radio Debates sub Committee was told by Broad-casting Director Professor James Shelley that matter which would be offensive to any other country could not be broadcast as the Government was party to a Geneva Convention. He practically prohibited all radio debates on International affairs.
Important light is thrown on the discussion by "Smiths Weekly" (Australia, stimulated by similar censorship in Australia. That paper states: "Senator McLachlan. Postmaster-General, reveals that Australia with seven other countries has agreed to prohibit broadcasting from being used in a way that will "prejudice international misunderstanding or be an incitement to war."
Now, look at some of the main facts of this lovely new radio pact.
Only seven countries have ratified it. It is, therefore so much a minority agreement as to be of trivial influence.
Among the countries abstaining form it is the United States most populous of English-speaking countries. That alone is serious condemnation.
Worse, although it aims to prevent incitement to war, Germany, Italy, and Japan, the only nations today endangering peace and all actually at war, also abstain from the agreement. It is farcical."
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All armies are the finest in the world. The second finest army, if one could exist, would be in an inferior position; it would be certain to be beaten. It ought to be disbanded at once. Therefore all armies are the finest in the world.—Anatole France.