Evening star., 1942-04-28
Essential Freedoms
Still Survive in War,
British Jurisi Says
Sir Mormon Birkett
Cites Press to Indicate
Attitude ia HomeIond

Britain's essential freedoms-in-
cluding freedom Of the press-still
survive after two and a half years
of war, Sir Norman Birkett, judge
of the Kings bench division of the
High Court of Justice. told press
conference today. He is in this
country on a lecture tour.
Restrictions of war have forced
Britons to give up many of their
cherished liberties, he admitted. but
added that they would not have
given them up unless certain the
sacrifice was necessary to the war
effort and sure that the liberties
would be re-established at the wars
end.
The press is still free to criticize
Sir Norman said, citing a recent
Daily Mirror case as an example.
The general attitude of the British
people In this and similar cases,
said the jurist, Is that no paper
should publish anything which
would injure the war effort, but also
that the government should not
have the autocratic, anti-democratic
power of suppression.
Could Still Have Their Say.
In response to questioning de-
signed to determine what the British
attitude would be In cases compar-
able to those here in which certain
papers have been called seditious,
Sir Norman said he thought editors
of such papers might be permitted
still to have their say in England.
II, for instance, paper attacked
one of Britain's allies with the con-
tention that the war with Germany
was that ally's own concern and not
that of Britain. suppression would
not result.
After two and half years of war
however. he pointed out. the temper
of the British people is such that
views of this sort would be definitely
unpopular and the papers circula-
ton exceedingly small
Further, the British jurist added
the Home Secretary, who would be
the authority responsible for the
suppression of any newspaper con-
sidered seditious. would have to
answer for his action to Parliament
at the daily questioning period
Commenting further on condition:
in Great Britain today, Sir Norman
said he believed crime had increased
in some departments under the i'm
pact of war.
Bigamy on Increase.
Bigamy he cited as one example
a large number of the offenders be.
ing men in the armed forces who
had left behind an unhappy home
life.
An increase also has been noted
he added, in crimes of violence dur
ing blackouts. Penalties. however
have not been increased, because ir
Britain they already are extremely
elastic and much is left to the dis
cretion of the court In each individ-
ual case.
Crimes of violence, he pointed out
may range from armed robbery
which might be committed with ol
without benefit of the blackout, u
purse snatchings in the hope of OBJ
tanning a pack of cigarettes.
Juvenile delinquency also has In
creased in some degree, Sir Norman
said, because of the relaxation oi
parental control, with many fathers
in the army and many mother:
working in war industries
+ Alien Conditions Improved.
Conditions under which aliens live
in Great Britain have been vaStli
improved, according to the IuriSt
who served from September, 1889 Il
May, 1910, as chairman of the HOME
once Advisory Committee dealing
with interned prisoners.
Every effort has been made Il
avoid further embarrassment o.
legitimate refugees from Naziisni
! Other aliens, those who must in thu
interest of safety be interned, ar
kept in comfortable camps, allowed
to work if they wish and subjec
only to the same food restriction
as others in the British Isles. An
other group of aliens is at liberty
but under restrictions. by which
they must report their movements
Sir Norman is here to address
number of legal bodies, principall
the American Bar Institute.