No Photographs!

Fiji Enforces a Ban

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, May 9.

rE ban against the production of photographs of places of military significance (which include most places) is being very strictly enforced in Fiji.

The well-known Suva chemist. Mr. I.

E. Michelmore, was fined no less than £25 for an offence that was little more than a technicality. He has maintained a photographic branch of his business, in charge of an Indian, for 15 years; and it appears that, while no photo graphs were taken, a number of pictures were printed off by the assistant from negatives in the shop. The pictures cer tainly showed places which could not now be photographed; but they were of no more value than many pictures already distributed around the town on publicity material; and the Indian assist ant had no suspicion that any harm was being done.

The magistrate admitted that the defendant did not act other than negli gently—but he imposed a punitive fine.

Exactly the same thing could have been achieved, in the case of a well-known man like Mr. Michelmore, by imposing a small fine and a solemn warning.

Another case was entirely different.

There was an air-raid alert in Suva, and a young Chinese, Tiy Wing On, went onto the roof of his building and took many photographs of aircraft, military vehicles and defence buildings. He was fined £2O. and his two cameras were confiscated.