1939-09-15 — Page 20

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The

Tel. 27778-9

Longkong Telegraph.

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September 15, 1939

Censorship

R"

●ELATIONSHIP between the Gov- ernment and the Press in times of national emergency may be re- 'garded as within the ambit of or

ganisation for national defence. In war-tinte same degree of control is Inevitable and necessary, and the Press is the Best to admit that its Freedom, so jealously gaurded in time of peace, must be subordinated to nationat interests in times of war

It is all-important, however, that the control should disable us little as possible the proper function of the Press, which is to inform and con- solidate public opinion.

in

The Ministry of information London has already created several psychological blunders which have done much to undermine con@dence in the Press--ilable being the delay and confusion in the release of in- formation regarding the sinking of the Athenin, the silence regarding the Royal Air Force explait at Kiel and the muddle over news of the transfer of the British Expeditionary Force to France.

British news agencies. have been hampered to such na extent by the restrictions imposed firstly by the Model Ministry of Information and, second-

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COUNT THE TELEGRAPHS EVERYWHERE

ly, by the strict censorship of att outgoing raffle, that their reports are probably seldom published in the big cities of the world, which give price of place in their columns to the news agency which first provides the story. In Hongkong we have cases in point. "Reuter", apparently, ween not even permitted to mention the final Ultimatum to Germany, for the only report received in Hongkong of this momentous decision was carried by "United Pro31," Again, the only News Agency report of the actual declaration of a State of War be- tween Britain and Germany publish→ ed on the day war started was from the American agency, the "Reuter" report being delayed en route for some hours.

their

radio receivers, which owe loyalty to

September 15, 1939.

:.

Beneath the heel of their new conqueror the Czech people are not squirming. Day and night the Czech Mafia organises resistance to the Germans, sabotages their factories, holds up their plans. What is this secret society of patriots? Here a member of the Mafia-who must obviously remain anonymous-tells you something of the way in which THE CZECHS ARE STANDING

UP

"THE MAFIA MUST BE EXTIRPATED,” DECLARED Herr Himmler, head of the German Police and Gestapo, after his recent visit to Czecho-Slovakia.

What Is this Mafla against which Himmler's hate is directed? It has no connection with the Sicilian Mafia of 50-years ago.

It is a secret political organisation, founded during the Great War to fight against the Hapsburgs for Czech independence. Its leaders were Thomas G. Masaryk and Eduard Benes. Its objective attained, the Mafia dis- solved.

To-day, with Czecho-Slovakia onco more under a foreign tyranny, it has been resurrected, led in part by the same men who founded it. To the ex- perience gained during the old "fight in the dark" rainst the Hapsburgs, the Mafia has added some of the methods used by the Henlein Nazis in Sudetenland before Munich.

THE CZECH MAFIA HAS TWO sections, the organisation abroad and the internal secret society. Both are led by Dr. Benes and the friends who fled the country when the Nazis marched in. Its members, small in number. include industrialists and workmen, police officials and Army ollicers, typists and porters, In it members of different political parties sink their differences to attain the common end-rational freedom.

kin

The centres outside Cho-Slova- are at Paris and Chicago. As during the world war, it is the Amuri- can Czechs who find most of the money, but now, inside the country itself, a secret fund is being organised.

Between Paris and Prague there is

a regular "underground" system of couriers. Money, material for propa- ganda, and orders are sent in; news, information about internal conditions, are sent out,

THE AIM OF THE MAFIA IS TO free the Czech people. But it knows that to foment a revolution against the Nazis would at present be suicidal. History has taught, however, that con- ditions may change in a night.

So the Mafia keeps light the flame of freedom, prepares the people for the day when the blow must be struck.

Most important of the work inside the country is to counter German pro- paganda. During the last few months the Mafia has honeycombed the coun- try with its cells.

A member finds half a dozen patriots whom he can trust. They set to work preparing leaflets, anti-Ger- man propaganda of all kinds.

TO

GERMANY

Recently thousands of Czech families received communication hended: "Ten Laws for Loyal Czechs." It was flaming summons to have faith in a higher justice and the ultimate Triumph of right, and ended: "Trust Bences. Never forget our national Pre- Vitezi (Truth molto, Pravda valls). It went through the post with the help of the Mafia” organisa- tion inside that civil service.

Another method used to reach the masses is chain-letters containing im- portant and truthful news of the in- ternal and the international situation. Small leaflets. printed 011 illegal presses, are distributed in thousands, Recently the Gestapo seized six such presses but there are plenty more to fill the gap.

vital importance to the Nazis. Indis- pensable blue-prints which cannot be reproduced disappear; measuring in- struments get out of gauge, and in an armament factory where a thousandth of an inch is of vital importance, in- describable havoc can be caused by such methods.

It was Mafia agents who strewed sand in machinery in the Skoda arma- ment works, and who used hypodermic syringes to impregnate copper arma- Lures on dynamos with acid, irretrie vably ruining them.

Chemical formuine have been stolen and sent abroad, and a check is kept on the production of armaments and information of new types and de- velopments is sent to Paris. There is secret which the Mafia does not

know.

no Czech master printers do. not care to know why their worlemen spend so much time at the works dar- ing the evenings.

When the

the Nazis changed street names from Masaryk, Revolu- tion and Freedom Streets to Hitler or Horst Wessel, the Mafia called out its painters and the next morning the streets had their old names again.

Two pirate radio transmitters have been in operation. They brond- cast recordings of news, extracts from speeches in the House of Commons and the French Parliament. The Ges- tapo traced one transmitter to a wood But and seized it.

the Mafin working it got away.

men

THE MAFIA WORKS NOT only against the Nazis but against the Czech Fascists. few so-called "Nationalists" helped the Germans, The Mafia knows them, has marked them down and destroyed" what in- fluence they had.

The Mafia, too, knows the agentes provocateurs, shadows them, exposes them, and frequently organises their “disappearance." The attempts of the Czech Fascists to stir up race-hatred and anti-Semitism are exposed. Anti- Semitism is merely a mask used by the Nazis, says the Mafia; and distributes - thousands of leaflets to hammer home the point.

One of the most. remarkable fea- tures of the Mafia is its organisation for collecting information. It has its agents in official departments, and often has information of Government "secrets" as soon as the Government itself. It taps telephone lines, and, in- cidentally, when doing this, work, it found a number of secret lines laid by the Sudeten Nuzis. Needless to say, such lines were destroyed, except when the Mafia thought it could put them to better uses.

With the good will of thousands of workers, and with their active co- operation. the Mafia organises espion- age anti sabotage in key industries of

of

WHEN TENS OF THOUSANDS Czech workmen were sent to Germany, the Mafia agents went with them, formed cells, got into touch with "underground" elements in Germany, and spread the not of factory sabotage over the Reich itself. They organised espionage, working hand in hand with the German Freedom Front, stirring the German masses to join with them in resistance to the Nazis.

Another activity of the Mafia is in organising the escape of political suspects. The Mafia group at Ma- hrisch-Ostrau, near the Polish frontier, have specialised in this work and smuggled соген of their fellow- countrymen Across the frontier to safety. Their intimate knowledge of the mountains and foresls, the active sympathy of the local population, have enabled the Mafia to defy all attempts of the Gestapo to curtail such activi- ties.

And, most important of all, the Mafia is succeeding in its main objects of maintaining the morale of the Czech people and of keeping their spirit un- broken.

DISCONTENT AMONG THE Czechs is increasing, and with it resistance to the conquerors. The underground fight grows keener every day, and resistance, while unostentati- ous, is resolute, active and efficient,

The Mafia members have 25 years' experience behind them; they have, too, the support of the Czech youth who have enjoyed 20 years of indepen- dence and know what it means. They have also રી greater measure of sympathy from the world outside than they had 25 years ago when the Czech people were scarcely known.

That people will not cease in its struggle for freedom, and in that strug- gle the Mafia will play, as it played before, the dominating role.

The Navy Forbade Sunday

WHEN

17HEN King George came to

W the throne in 1510 he did

no country and no ideals, but obey

civilians?

the dictates of the hand that turns the dials.

In Hongkong, listeners can, and do,

FRIGHTENING HORSES

AVIATION WAS

IN ENGLAND

n weapon

Flying

BORN

but the very much more doubt- ful one of "Will it ny?" Many in the old days simply would not leave the ground, and 'all had to wait for perfect weather conditions before making the attempt.

At the outset, plots judged con- ditions by means of their cigarette smoke. If the smoke' ascended ver- tiently the conditions were safe. The slightest ripple of wind along Not until after the Coronation did the grass filled them with appre-

68 M.P.H. SPEED RECORD

If the Ministry of Information and the British and Colonial centers in- Lend to malulain the type of muzzling which was enforced during The Great War they are commilling a blunder of the first magnitude. In these days, it is possible for people not hold a review of his armed living in every corner of the world forces in the air-and for a to obtain first-hand information of very simple reason. Thereing ofteers made a Joke of the en- 1010, for flying a circular mile. Avla- events by radio, and the only effect were none.

Jerprise. Cavalrymen were particu- tors who had learned to fly on the inrly obnoxious. They shooed the Continent were being given huge of delay and undue censorship will How could anyone even con-machine away because they feared it fear for brief-demonstrations. be to turn the pubile from newspapers (which, in British lands, template an air review at a time might frighten the horses! are naturally pro-British) to their when, out of a population of So far as acronautical effort in the millions, only eight persons had Services was concerned at that time, qualified as pilots--all of them activity was limited to the work of a Frenchman succeed in winning ahension. Spectators had to be pu- a few balloonists at Farnborough. I prize of £10,000 by making a fight tient, and wait for hours, for, even

from Laudon

in if the wind was absent, any one of that think

to Manchester seems odd to

hundred complications might re- which at

at the beginning of the King's stages, and the effort was rightly re-

16 wonderful. The world's sult in, the engine not functioning turn to Shanghai and to Manila for It was not until shortly after the reign was militarily non-existent is garded

speed record in the ult for the year as desired. dominant in wa

Warfare.

1010 was less than 60 miles _ per uncensored news and comment. Theythusiastic Army officer gained his Only a few months before July,

Looking back, however, the really can, and do, turn to Zeesen for the flying certificate and took his ma aviation begun to attract attention.

hour, and the first fight from Lon- 1010, had the real possibilites

extraordinary thing Is that the don to Paris was still unattempted. German version of the war. They

chine to the autumn' manoeuvres. Ha can obtain up-to-the-minute cover-

It was not until 1911 that the Ad-during pliots of the thoroughly un- The Rheims meeting had taken

miralty graciously - allowed four sound machines which were at first was the subject of dignified curiosity, place. Doncaster and Blackpool had naval officers to learn to fly on ma- produced were able to avoid being age from San Francisco.

and that was about all. Command-held flying meetings, Latham had chines which patriotic civilian had killed. Cody relied on a Hongkong newspapers and, through

Alliott Verdon Hoe them, the Hongkong public are prob-receiving ends, are inviting people to won the leading prize at the latter generously presented, together with structure. Sir

elsewhere

for their information. place in October, 1980, for flying an aerodrome. On one thing, how used a special kind of paper with ably typical of any part of the over- much censorship makes new-distance of less than six miles in a ever, the Admiralty was very arm. which to cover the wings of his early

Brilish Empire. Hongkong Too

high wind. newspapers

There must not be any flying on ueroplanes. Engines at first had a British, first and papers unreliable, discredited and- pre

S. F. Cody had gained praise be- Sundays, The War Office at that chain drive. Wright machines ran foremost,

worst sin of all dull. We are the Impetuous interference with the first to admit the necessity of censor-cause, in September, his "Flying time had not even formed the Air along a rall in order to take off.

At the time of the Coronation, I news is merely Inviting readers to ship in war-time but we hope that Cathedral" flew for 80 yards. Mr. Battalion which preceded the estou and for long after, parachutes were

turn from these newspapers, which the typical example of local methods Handley Page had produced what blishment, in 1912, of the Royal ure of a known quality, to the radio. which we reproduce clsewhere in was to be, a

for all practical purposes unknown. je later, the first Flying Corps.

"It The Coronation celebrations came Attempts to ensure safety were be- As Mr. Greenwood stated In the this lasue is not to become

to fly over London. a per-aeroplane

fying was a ing made from a different angle, House of Commons yesterday by manent phase of relationship between was called "The Antiseptle" because at a period in which

The specu

Mr. was coated with a non-rusting most 'hazarddūs affair.

Rudyard Kipling expressed clamping down a shutter of silence, Hongkong newspapers and the cent the Ministry of Information and the sorm" appointed-by

Moore-Brabazon lation in regard to a new machine the opinion in 1910 that some form the Hongkong composition. Col. 'censors, either at the despatching or Government.

had won a prize of £1,000 in March, was not how fast or how for it could PLEASE Tum To Pagu 7.

・甘じな

Coronation celebrations that un en-

bamboo

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