Germans and British alike will regret the sudden disturbance of relations between their two countries over the question of the with-Grawal by the Home Office in London of the permits accorded to three German journalists and the action which the German Government announces its intention to take in con-Sequence, The reticence of the British official statement in regard to the three Germans may have at frst created an impression that some sort of press discipline was being exercised. Criticism of this reticence, in so far as it pei mitted that misapprehension to grow, cannot be supported without knowledge of the precedent discussions which must certainly have taken place between the British and German Governments before the permits were with-@rawn, Semi-official British explanations have made it clear that the three men were not out of favour because of their professional Work as journalists, but because of other activities in which they have been engaged. This, of course, does not carry the inquirer much further, although, in the light of certain occasional revelations in the British courts, it enables the student of affairs to draw conclusions. More significant perhaps is the statement that it may be necessary to be preci {in defining the activities to which the British authorities have taken exception. That statement occurring in the comment of The Times" which now finds itself challenged by the German Government, was quoted in the British Broadcust on August 10. Tt will be observed that the German Government already realizes the basic irrelevance of ils attempt to eliminate Mr. Norman Ebbutt from the ranks of the foreign journalists in Berlin, for one of its organs has now discovered that certain foreign journalists, Including by implication "Mr. Ebbutt, have not contented themselves with journalistic work but. "have to a great extent, interfered with German home polities". This phrase may cover a wide field. Hardly any journalist charged with the duty of interpreting the politico situation in the country of his residence can avoid contacts to which itamight by a convenient stretch of imagination be applied, It not likely that the British Government will permit this specious after-thought to pass without correction, It is difficult, without specific details of the tivities to which the British Government has objected, to do more than make general observations, Obviously the withdrawal the permits was not the first step taken by the authorities at Whitehall. It must, as already. suggested, have been preceded by representa tions made, perhaps first to the men direct, and then to their Government through the usual diplomatic channels, The German Government, therefore, must be in full possession of the {acts and must know that the British action is not dictated by any objection to Journalistic activities. The proposed reprisals will not deceive the outside world into the belief that the affair is simply due to Great Britain's desire to fetter the liberty of the Press, even though that commodity docs not exist in Germany. British people have no concern with the machinery whereby the Nazi organization finds it necessary to work. They know that it demands the existence of special representatives of the parly who in various parts of the world where German communities are, as in Germany itself, act as reporters to the Party Headquarters with the object of ensuring that Nazi ideals.and methods prevail. This work entails much the same supervision of officials and non-oMicials alike as has marked the "party" discipline of Communism Russia and Fascism in Italy. Non-Germans can have no quarrel with it, in so far as it
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.