asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures if he will state whether he is aware that in the beginning of February the publishing firm of Burns & Oates, London, dispatched a copy of a book entitled The Persecution of the Catholic Church in the Third Reich; Facts and Documents translated from the German, to an addressee here, but that the book was not delivered, and that the addressee has been informed that its importation is prohibited; and if he will say if such a prohibition order has been issued, and, if so, when, and for what purpose, and under what authority.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Importation of Book.
Copies of the book referred to consigned to Dublin booksellers have been detained in the course of postal censorship and returned to the senders in pursuance of Article 17 of the Emergency Powers Order, 1939. The book, which is by an anonymous author, is merely propaganda directed against one of the belligerents in the European war. It is considered that it would not be in the public interest to permit a publication of the kind to be placed on sale here.
Will the Minister say why there is this discrimination by the Post Office; why publications of this particular kind are stopped while there is allowed to be passed through the Post Office daily publications making the charge that there is an Anglo-American threat to Ireland; containing insults to the President of the United States; and charges that the British Air Force are bombing hospital ships and that the British Government are starving French children? Why is there this discrimination by the Post Office which allows Italian propaganda daily to circulate stuff like that through the post?
Advantage should not be taken of supplementary questions to endeavour to get on record matters which do not directly arise out of a question.
On a point of order. Surely I can ask why there is discrimination; why propaganda, said to be one-sided, is stopped by the Post Office, while propaganda of another kind is circulated freely morning after morning to members of this House. Could we have an answer to that?
All I am aware of is that the particular book was an indictment of a State with which this State has friendly relations; and, with which the Holy See has friendly relations, and in the censor's opinion, the book should not be permitted to be circulated.
Is it suggested that we have not friendly relations with the United States or Great Britain; and is an Italian agency to be allowed to insult the President of the United States?
Will the Deputy give us some information so that we may know what he is talking about?
The members of the House are getting it every morning.
I did not get it.
It was circulated to members of your Party regularly.
Is the Minister aware that a Cardinal of the Church is quoted extensively in the book which the Minister states is propaganda?
It could be quoted for certain purposes.
The Minister is not aware?