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Coast and elsewhere, a dastard campaign has been embarked upon by the present administration - a purely Fascist measure - to muzzle the Press. - The Criminal Code Amendment Bill which by the official majority system of administration was rushed through the Legislature at the last sitting of the Legislative Council in March, is a pure replica of that drawn by Hitler's Political Officers to muzzle te German press. A cable message signed by Comrade Wallace-Johnson for the Gold Coast Press Association was dispatched on the 15th February to London where it had a salutary effect as the matter was taken up by Miss Eleanor Rathbone, M.P., who interviewed the Colonial Secretary on the matter. Public protest Meetings have been held in several centres and deputations from the Central National Committee representing the Gold Coast and the Ashanties and from the Aborigines Rights Protection Society have gone to England to demand a withdrawal of all the obnoxious Bills and a new constitution of administration for the Country. 

His Excellency's Deception

<> the Governor on the 21st February, 1934,issued an extraordinary Gazette without a serial number purporting to give certain explanations regarding the Criminal Code Amendment Bill commonly known as the <> and the following are some of the items in the Gazette: - 

1) As it has been suggested in the local press that there may be many reasons for clauses 4 and 5 of this Bill which have not yet been stated, I propose to tell the public, who are entitled to know the facts, why the necessity for such legislation has arisen.

2) Everyone knows that there are in the world certain seditious organisations, whose aim appears to be destruction of law and order. These organisations are very active, and hardly a country in the world is free from their attack. In consequence, most countries have found it necessary to protect themselves by law against such attack. 

3) A few years ago, the importation of seditious literatures into the Gold Coast was unknown, but there is no law in this country to prevent it and the organisations to which I have referred have begun to take advantage of this weakness. Seditious literatures have been sent to this country for the last two years at least, and it is increasing rapidly in quantity.

6) It has been suggested that the Bill will affect adversely the ancient rights and liberties of the Gold Coast People. I shall therefore now state WHAT THE BILL WILL NOT DO. 

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7) It will not alter the Constitution in the slightest degree. The basis of British Trusteeship will remain unchanged.

8) It will not affect the liberty of the Gold Coast people under the trusteeship of Great Britain. 

9) It will not affect the right of the press or any person to make a fair criticism of the Government or any Government proposal.
 
10) It will not affect the right of any person to make a fair criticism of the Executive Legislative Councils or to suggest reforms or changes in those bodies or in the Supreme Court or in any Government Department.
 
11) It will now enable this Government to pass any legislation which otherwise it would not have been within its power to pass. 

Anyhow, in the face of all the above statements of the Governor, even before the bill becomes law, the Police have obviously been operating upon it. They are at the moment very busy probing into people's privacy. Interfering with private Mails and letters at the Post Office and taking down names and addresses of persons connected with the Press and other marked Africans. Nevertheless, we are not perturbed. The people's attention have been successfully drawn to the deceptive policy of the Governor and the Government and they are determined to fight the last ounce of their breath against this corrupt fascist policy. 

YOUTH ANTI-WAR CONGRESS SUPPORTS COLONIALS.

A very important and successful congress against War and Fascism was held by young workers in Sheffield, England, on Sunday, August 5. 

The Congress was attended by 600 delegates, representing 200.000 young workers wha pledged themselves to carry on a determined struggle against War and murderous Fascism.

A feature of the Congress was the special attention given to the struggles of the colonial toilers against imperialist oppression and the pledge of the young workers to create a united front of struggle between colonial and white workers against their common enemy - British Imperialism.

The following resolution, moved by Comrade Ward of the Negro Welfare Association and seconded by Ben Bradley, was unanimously adopted: 

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