§ 5. Mr. PEMBERTON BILLINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether an illustrated weekly journal, entitled "O Espello," published in London in the Portuguese language, is entirely supported by the British Government, which pays the proprietors several hundred pounds for each issue, for the purpose of furthering the interests of the British and Allied cause in South America; whether he is aware that such newspaper has frequently contained both illustrations and letterpress calculated to throw discredit on the cause it is paid to champion; and will he say who is responsible for censoring "O Espello," and who are the persons who profit by the Government subsidy?
§ Lord R. CECILThe facts are not as stated in the question. It would obviously be contrary to the public interest for the 1550 Government to make any statement as regards any steps which they may or may not be taking in connection with newspapers circulated in foreign countries in time of war.
§ Mr. BILLINGIf I supply the Noble Lord with instances where this paper has published statements which are detrimental to the cause of the Allies, will he cease from making the subsidy of £300 a week to a paper which is being circulated abroad and doing us harm?
§ Lord R. CECILI shall await any communication the hon. Member chooses to make.
§ Mr. KINGDo not statements from various points of view give an appearance of neutrality and so attract a number of readers who would not otherwise see the paper?