1 was inevitable that the British Ministry of Information should ome in for some critcian, fod is undoubtedly receiving that. atthe ands of the British Prose which Is consider: thy annoyed "atthe. paucity of Information nich' comping the Minty fs handing out One of the chief trebles has been the faint: Rearted. manner" in which the whole. question the Ministry was bandied from the common:
fsecesry machinery in. times of peace, for foment. Therg wat & reliance to sel up the fene'inct Great Petain would We. accused of eduiging in the same (ype of propaganda. 32 the Germans, and it was something ofa sop (0 hose who cit that fear that the Ministry war Terueded' purely "ts wartime measure," Tst wile the System existed in shadow form prior onthe "oulbresk of wan did not aetally ome tats operation ubt'hostilties were Me evitsbier and its now going through is youth.
growing pains. "There isa great deal sla'for the contention of "The Times? favour: fog. the issuance of more information than up tofane' present has been ven, Whether or not the hiistey of Information were right in with-folding the news, of the. arrival' of Brith troops' in 'France, the fact remains that with 0 macy' neutral news "agencies operating, the fins could not long have been suppressed: Not [o'r to be believed that the Germnan command fees in igvorsoce et the matin, or" Gat when ire announcement\ was eventealy mode. erated. any great surprise for them, The. point fat the Als are waging. war in the she of neatcet'nalons believing tele cause to be fis, courting neviral judgment and desiring that they should have he flea Information pon when to form fis well taken. ft should Be°poeibie without ta any" way embarrassing the military command for much more inform be' elvan of than has. been up fo. the present, and the fact has to be faced; that it Ere impression ealne general currency abroad thet there is on the part of the British authori-les undue suppression of news. which could properly be puclived, Wt can only. serve Eneeedee suspicion that ithe last thing fiche desired: maugh it cane. aid avoer of the Ativistty that Its 50 new to the fobs that. mistakes La its early ays are viable, itis only to be hoped. at it will Soon seitlc down te a realization. of the needs tithe moment and 0 determination to see that they ave mets promptly ar possible Real News 'The Ministry of Information which has been receiving some fairly hard knocks in Parliament as a result of its policy of withholding the news concerning the development of the war, has proved the virtue of its erilics' case by belated-issuing a report of the bombing of the German Navy at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. 'A special cable to the "North-China Dally News [appearing elsewhere shows that the Ministry have quite a spirited account of the whole matter' which would have made much better reading had it been published closer to the time fof the actual event. It is now made quite clear {that the British aeroplanes swooped so low over: the German war vessels that there can be no. doubt as to whether hits were made or not, and when it is claimed by one aviator that a bomb from the machine in front of him hit a German ship amidship, it has to be remembered that he was definitely' in a position to see, and of too.far away to be certain of the results. Altogether three hits cre claimed, and there [seems very ttle reason to doubt the accuracy fof the reports. What military advantage there was to be gained by withholding this account an effective raid it is dificult to see. There is nothing In it which could possibly prove of service to the German command, for they were perfectly well aware of the raid and of the image which was done, though this they claim, luncenvineingly, was nil. Fortunately it seems that one of the - results of the debate in the House of Commons is that the Ministry will seek to mend its ways, and that a better service of news will be available than has been the ease up to the present. It will probably find before many days have passed, that what it
widespteag reporting staff, remitting news to London for consideration' and dissemination, rather than waiting for the various depart mental activities to send in reports. To be really efficient the Ministry should be working. with the speed of a news agency, exercising reasonable restraint upon what it hands out for publication, but at the same time supplying the news hawks with the "hot" news which their newspapers require, When Congress Meets When Congress meets on probable that the only which will have before' it 'Act, which as passed during the last session of 'Congress forbade the supply of riy' kind of war material to any belligerent. The Adminis-ration badly wished to include in the Act the famous "rash and carry" clause under which Delligerents would be permitted 10. pay cash for war supplies and. transport them'in their own' bottoms: On that point it was, defeated, find the war commenced' with the Allies being Unable. to secure even the delivery of those Supplies for which contracts fad been entered into tong before the outbreak of Hostliien It believed that the events of the last three weeks will have had s profound an effect {upon American public opinion, and it is thought that President Roosevelt has careful sounded Out. the feelings of members of Congress: content of securing the necessary amendment in the House of Representatives and more than 4 little hopeful of nding sul cient support in Congress to secure the enactment of the amendment. This seems to be almost certain for the President would be unlikely to court such an: Jother rebuff ax those which he suffered at tne Jeonclusion of the last session of Congress, That the isolationists, such as Senator William Borah will do their utmost to prevent the passage of the amendment may be taken for granted, bul President Roosevelt has succeeded. in Wi ning over the recalcitrant Democrats, who were Tesponsible for his previous defeat, there should a good chance of his eventually gaining the Jéay, and placing the United States in the post= Yon of an impartial neutrality, which ay the Jaw stands at present does not exist It is still too early fo estimate what effect upon American pinion the latest Soviet move will have, but 1 would seem that general disapproval et the Soviet Government and its methods will be ntensited by' this invasion of Poland, with a consequent "strengthening "of sympathy with the Allied cause. "One of the strongest polis in favour of those who wish to see the Neutrality Act amended is undoubtedly the feat that as 1 stands at present there Is discrimination against the" Allies, and in favour of Germany. "it is entirely beside the point that Germany' would be unable to purchase supplies from the United States and transport them to Europe because of the blockade, and the argument that because Germany cannot secure such assistance it should be denied to the Allies simply will not hold water.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.