Juvenile Delinquency
The third threat has been the subject of correVspondence in this Journal started in the authors' issue of Dec. 27 by a letter from Mr Johnston Abraham, followed by a 'iuhter by Mr. R. F. West, Chairman of the Medical Group, of the Publishers Association.
Abstract
not allowed to listen to dangerous thoughts. A county medical officer of health recently instructed the public .hwalth officers on his staff not to take part or vote in a meeting held in their area to discuss the National Health fervice Act. They were present but had to sit in enforced bilence. These public health officers, so instructed, could not follow the example of the Willesden nurses who were finstructed by the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden ti join a trade union. The nurses resigned, and presumably had some safeguard in that there was an alternative open Ito them-to work elsewhere. It is intolerable that this rt of thing can happen in a country that in the past has set an example to the world in its fight for the essential freeVoms of Western civilization, and which has just emerged, battered but victorious, from a war fought to preserve the fteedoms won in the past. We see in the above two examples denial of freedom sf assembly, denial of freedom to vote according to conscience. The third threat has been the subject of correVspondence in this Journal started in our issue of Dec. 27 by a letter from Mr. Johnston Abraham, followed by a 'iuhter by Mr. R. F. West, Chairman of the Medical Group ,of the Publishers Association. Distinguished medical men take up the theme in this week's correspondence columns. 4ir. Johnston Abraham was, because of his experience with ,the Ministry of Education, anxious about the future publication of books written by medical men who, if working -Aoletime in the new National Health Service, will be State servants. "The whole idea of such a censorship in civil life is inimical to freedom of thought." Mr. West drew Nttention to the following reply given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to a question asked in the House of Commons on Nov. 6 by Mr. Isaac J. Pitman.