In banning the Soviet peace film the Film Censor, Mr. Gordon Mirams declined to make known his objections. The three-member Film Appeal Board, in unanimously upholding Mr. Mirams likewise offered no explanation or opinion with its judgment.

The regulations governing the Film Censor and the Film Appeal Board do not bind them to reveal their reasons for refusing to certify a film for general exhibition.

The forty-minute documentary film "For World Peace" severely denounces those organising war and forthrightly champions those seeking peace. Its English captions and dialogue would assure the film a large New Zealand audience.

Inconsistency

The secretary of the N.Z. Society for Closer Relations with the U.S.S.R. has protested against the banning to Prime Minister Holland. The letter to the Prime Minister points out:

"Surely, in a democracy, this should not happen and even if there were room for disagreement as to its content, we should be big enough to permit its showing, especially in view of the many films with a strong antiSoviet bias which are so constantly screened."

In contrast to the banning of "For World Peace," "hate" movies, such as "A Yank in Korea," "The Iron Curtain," "The Red Danube," "I Married a Communist," "The Conspirators," and "The Third Man," bear the Film Censor's stamp of approval. Certified for universal exhibition as well in an endless roll are the celluloid glorifications of all the brutilising and debasing details of American crime and sex exploits.

The U.S.S.R. Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries sent "For World Peace" to the New Zealand Legation of the U.S.S.R. for transfer to the N.Z.S.C.R.

After receiving the film in January the Legation spent approximately two months in going through the formalities of first submitting the film to the Film Censor and then to the Film Appeal Board. The Soviet Legation, in complying with the Film Appeal Board's decision, was unable to transfer the film to the N.Z.S.C.R. for general exhibition.

The Film Censor has made only two slight deletions from the many Soviet films for certifications during the past 15 years.

"For World Peace" is the first political film black-out in New Zealand since "Indonesia Calling."

War and Peace

For the first few minutes the banned film focuses on Moscow school children and adults at study, preparing to take their places, or improve their work, [unclear: in] nation of builders. Shots of the great Soviet construction projects and industries of peace emphasise this fact.

Then appear glimpses of Western military manoeuvres conducted by the war-minded with intent to intimidate progressive countries, movements and persons.

Scenes portraying mass demonstrations for peace and against fascism in half a dozen countries follow. West Germans demonstrate against the Marshall Plan; 700,000 participants from both Eastern and Western Germany pledge their allegiance to peace at the Democratic Youth Rally in Berlin last year.

Armed detachments of Viennese police attack a demonstration opposing General Clarke's efforts to enforce U.S. State Department policies. Japanese police, reinforced by U.S. Army squads, break up a Japanese workers' demonstration.

Through the streets of French cities stream the partisans of peace. In Belgium the masses riot against the return of the American protege. King Leopold III, and demand that American guns be thrown into the Elbe. The Chinese people are revealed as among those in the front ranks fighting against imperialistic war.

"For World Peace" shows the great response throughout Europe and the Soviet Union to the Stockholm Appeal signature campaign to prohibit atomic weapons of warfare. The picture stresses how the entire adult Soviet population of 115,000,000 endorsed the Appeal, and how last June the Supreme Soviet ratified it.

The camera records the Second U.S.S.R. Peace Conference at which more than one thousand envoys of the Soviet people gathered in Moscow from October 16-18, 1950. N. S. Tikhonov, chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee, reaffirms "the unswerving loyalty of the Soviet people to the cause of peace. ." The late S. I. Vavilov, president of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., declares that the forces of democracy in every land would in the end assure the triumph of peace. A locomotive driver on the North Donets Railway appeals to workers of all lands not to transport war materials for those calling for the extermination of life on earth.

Rosary and A-Bomb

The action then flashes to Britain where J. G. Crowther, president of the British Peace Committee, and the Dean of Canterbury are shown addressing a 50.000-strong London peace rally in June, 1950.

"For World Peace," expressing full faith in the ability and determination of progressive mankind, ends with these words:

"Peace will conquer war."

—D.L.F.