17 MAY 1930, Page 3

* * * * The Daily News has .pointed out

that when the Official Secrets Bill was passing through Parliament Lord Hewart ridiculed the complaint that the Bill would affect the Press. " That," said Lord Hewart, " seems to me to be an astonishing statement. It is very strange that persons connected with the Press should say that the Bill deals with. them." If the Act did not deal with' the Press then it does now. One would have suspected a Labour Govern- ment least of all of being likely to make such a use of the Act. The proper course—which never failed in the War—would have been to inform the Press of the un- desirability of making certain statements.