0003160 G.F. 316
1
3.
Content
(a)
4.
(a)
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2
1
continued after the closures. S. B. estimates that
a number of communist press renders buy the papers,
not with any political motives, but merely because they
enjoy the entertainment value contained in them e.g.
comic strips and racing tips.
(b)
(c)
After a
The closure of the three communist newspapers had a
salutory effect on the content of the remainder of the
communist press for only a very short time.
period of a few weeks the tone of the papers became more
vehement than in the immediate "pre-closure" period.
The tone of the left-wing press fluctuates from day to
day, but the general trend is considered to be less
violent in the week ending 11th November.
Much of the material published is still highly subversive,
inflammatory and libellous.
Security Aspects
(b)
The left wing press is used by the Communist leadership as
the main medium for distributing instructions and
exhortations to the lower ;echelons of the party and the
hooligan fringe, e.g. an appeal for more action by students
results in student demonstrations and school strikes. In
addition the publishers of communist newspapers have the
means of instigating violence on their own initiative.
Conversley the press could be used in order to reduce
violent action if this became new communist policy.
Much of the content of the left wing is inflammatory
and, if published as a poster or leaflet, would be
the subject of police action. There now exists the
obvious anomaly between prosecution of persons found
in possession of inflammatory leaflets and the present
policy of taking no action against the equally
inflammatory left wing press.
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