London, June 26, Charges of shortcomings in its publicity and news policy were levelled against the Government in the House of Lords yesterday, Lord Elibank, who initiated the debate, contended: "Sometimes, we are told too much and sometimes too little, On other occasions, news 15 withheld until it is, stale or until it has already come to us from enemy Sources,"
Two eminent newspaper proprietors participated in the debate, Lord Camrose (proprietor and editor-in-chief of the "Daily Telegraph" and Chairman of the "Financial Times," Lid, and of the Amalgamated Press, Lid), who was Chief Assistant and Controller of Press Relations at the Ministry of Information in September and October, 1939, complained that news was supplied and controlled by the service departments, who were reluctant to give up that power until compelled by some superior power, For that reason, he urged, the Minister of Information (Mr, Alfred Duff Cooper) should be made 2 member of the War Cabinet, The Importance of Propaganda The other peers Lord was Lord Rothermere (controlling shareholder of the "Daily Mailj' "Evening Nev and "Sunday Despatch)," who declared that British propaganda, in America particularly, was extremely bad, He urged the Government to be less afraid to give news that was wot optimistic, American: ted, were just as equal to as the British. if the truth was told to them, Responsibility and efforts of the Ministry of Information would be much easier if only the service chiefs would realise the importance of propaganda, Lord Cranborne, Secretary of State for the Dominions, giving the Gov ernment case, denied the suggestion thet if Britain had had more active propaganda, the smaller countries row under German domination would have joined Britain instead of remaining neutral,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.