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taken in one or two instances in accordance with its provisions with satisfactory results. The Sub-Committee recommended that this agreement should be given a fair trial. but in grave emergency they considered that the Government should have statutory power to enforce censorship. They had therefore drafted a Bill to be introduced on the outbreak of war or at such time as the Cabinet might think desirable. The Bill was designed to be put into operation by Order in Council, and was so drawn as to remain on the Statute Book permanently when once it had been passed. They recommended that the War Office should be responsible for the Bill and for the machinery for giving effect to it after it had passed. All the arrangements made should be embodied in the War Book.
MR. CHURCHILL enquired the exact procedure which would be followed, for instance, if the Admiralty wished to prevent some new type of warship being described.
GENERAL HENDERSON said that the Secretary of the Admiralty would communicate with Mr. Robbins, the Manager of the Press Association, and the Joint Committee would assemble. The decision of the Committee would then be com- municated to the Press by Mr. Robbins. The latter was in communication indirectly with a great many newspapers and directly with a few. The machinery was all worked through the Proprietors' Associations, except in the case of a few independent newspapers, and was almost automatic. Arrangements had also been made for editors to refer to the Admiralty and War Office before publishing information which had the appearance of being of a confidential nature. This was done directly, and promptitude in reply had been provided for.
MR. CHURCHILL said that the conclusion of the Agreement was a most valuable piece of work, reflecting very great credit on its negotiators. Its effectiveness had been illustrated recently when it had been considered necessary to increase our margin of safety in naval defence on the dispatch of the 3rd Battle Squadron to the Mediterranean. This involved the commissioning of ships, movements of men, extra work in the dockyards, and communications to Dominion Governments. All the materials in fact for alarmist head-lines. But these arrangements had been put into force, and, though the commissioning of ships and their movements had been announced in the ordinary manner, no excitement had been caused, and he doubted whether any foreign Power had had its suspicions aroused.
He therefore agreed entirely with the Report as to giving the Agreement a fair trial and as to postponing the introduction of legislation until the outbreak of war.
THE PRIME MINISTER called attention to the draft of the Bill to be introduced on the outbreak of war. He understood that some measure of this kind was in force in Bulgaria at the moment, and a very comprehensive enactment by the Council of Ministers forbidding the publication of news of naval and military interest was promulgated in Russia on the 21th December last.
LORD HALDANE said that the agreement reached was very satisfactory so far as it went. It would be very difficult to carry restrictive legislation through in time of peace.
There was little to fear now from the respectable papers, but there were others less easy to deal with.
THE PRIME MINISTER said that it would be very desirable if the Newspaper Press in the Dominions and Colonies could be covered by some similar Agreement.
GENERAL HENDERSON said that there was as yet no Association which embraced the Dominion and Colonial Press, and, speaking generally, the Newspaper Press interests in those countries was little organized.
COLONEL ALLEN said that in New Zealand the Press was fairly well organized. He would be very glad if the report was communicated to the New Zealand Government with a view to their making similar arrangements.
THE PRIME MINISTER said that the conclusion of the agreement was most satisfactory, and he thought that the Report might be approved.
(Conclusion.)
The Report of the Standing Sub-Committee on Press Censorship in time of War (C.1.D. paper 167-B) is approved.
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