Evening star., 1897-06-15
PRESS CENSORSHIP
Continued from First Page.)

of distressed Americans was published two
or three days late and in the most guarded
manner. The passage Of the Morgan res
olution in the Senate recognizing belliger-
ency has not yet been made known to the
Havana newspaper-reading public. The
night that resolution passed private mes
sage did get through conveying the infor-
nation. Otherwise the Americans in Ha-
vana might have waited days before 1t was
Known. The news also leaked cut from
the palace. and it was possible to OBTAIN
expressions of very bitter opinion from the
officers and the official classes against the
United States. But all this was under
cover Most Of the time the stereotyped
news from Washington ard Madrid would
he that the relations between the United
States and Spain continued afsectionate.
If the belligerei cy resolution should pass
the House there would probably be Il cable
in the Havana newspapers saying that the
relations between the two countries were
still "effectionate.'' In the course of a
week or ten days some hint might be per-
n.itted of the action taken by Congress,
hut this is doubtful. ~,
Escaped hchCensor's Vigilance.
Naturally, the censorship has to permit
something to be published about the move
n'ents of the troops apd the local military
operations on the, island. Everybody is in
terested in knowing where the columns are
and wfat they are dong. This informa-
ton is given by telling of the movements Of
the troops agains, thS. insurgents, usually
with an account OF some glorious victory.
victory, and reading Between the lines, the
people Of Havana know that the troops
nave been whipped. Sometimes. too the
Eews gets past the censor, because he fails
Occasionally the Havana dailies stop
their presses not to announce any late
news, but in order that some news which
is Objectionable to the authorities may be
chiseled out. One day / noticed, in a re-
port OF skirnish between the insurgents
and the troops, that something had been
ckiseled out Of the description Of the in
surgents. 1t seemed that their actual num-
Der had been reported and this number,
giving a proper idea Of their strength, the
censor would not permit 1t to be stated.
Such intelligence contrOverted the aSSur-
ances OF pacification and Of dwindling In
surgents.
Politics In Spain.
The Havana papers have full correspond
cree and dispatches from Madrid. That is
a kind Of information that cannot be en-
tirely suppressed. The Havana public
know something Of the political condition
In Spain is able to keep informed Of what
Is going on, even though the news that is
When the Duke Of Tetuan slapped Ole of
Sagasta's followers. that fact was not pub
lished In Havana till the developments fol-
lowing 1t had been made known. The dis
cussions IL the cortes were edited with
great effectiveness by the press censor. He
could make the Congressional Record
vest-pocket volume.
However. the newspaper editors in Ha-
vana are shrewd. and they do manage to
give their readers fairly complete knowl-
edge OF what Is happening in Spain. The
cabinet crisis was not permitted to be
made public. Only the vaguest hints that
to Madrid and the possibility of Sagasta
Iesuming power were given. Not the
shadow OF an intimation was permitted
that change in the cabinet might mean
the recall Of Gen. Weyler. If that ever
happens, it will be made public only be-
cause his power will be broken and the
palace officials will not be strong enough
to prevent the newspapers from spreading
1t broadcast without waiting for VIEWERS
actual departure.
On the other hand, any strengthening of
Weyler's power will be promptly and prom
irently recorded. When the decla "a tion
was made that Canovas assumed fuII re-
sponsibility for Weyler's actions in Cuba.
ana that the queen regent approved, this
statement was set forth with much -four
ish. Similarly. Sagasta's declaration that
the liberal party would never consent to
any scheme for the sale of Cuba was ex
plotted, though hardly a word of the propo-
sitiOu lOT tIe purchase OF Cuba had
permitted publication.
Imported Periodicals..
The martial law of the press censorship
extends to all newspapers which come to
the island. theoretically nothing is per-
mitted circulation which reflects On tho
government. Actually this cannot he oar
ried out. The book stores and news de-
pots which handle American newspap
nave to send two copies to the palace for
and copies Of the paper should be sold II
would be a grave offense by the bookseIler
But the impossibiiity Of carrying out such
q system is realized at the palace. and the
American newspapers circulate freely in
Havana. Those 1romf Madrid are subject
to occasional confiscation. As liberty of
the press still prevails in Madrid to a lin
tied degree, the newspapers there which
are opposed to the government criticise n
with freedom. Some of them make savage
attacks on Weyler and his policy. These
papers are usually stopped in the post
ton, and the fact that the palace has Or
dered their confiscation enables them to be
sold at an ADVANCED price.
Ignorance I'm Havana.
I have given these points about the GEN.
sorship because they help to portray the
ignorance which may prevail in Havana
concerning the UnitedY States and it's atti-
tude toward Spain and the insurrection
1t is also necessary to state that the H.
vana public is kept misinformed of nnhiic
sentiment in this country because the
newspapers there only quote the New York
journals which are notoriously and con-
sistently out of line with American pnhiic
sentiment on foreign questions They ara
thus misled into the belief that anythine
like q national policy ia effervescent tineo.
ism. and that the United States viii onIv
do what couple of un-American Nev
York newspapers think 1t should do. The
Spanish mind In Havana Is slow in nen-
etration. Between the censorship and the
Misrepresentation OF American public SEN
Of actual conditions is fostered But even
the Spanish mind Is grasping the idea that
1t may have been misinfopmed and the
slow processes by which 1t will reach fun
and correct information SHOULD be awaited
with patience and forbearance.
CHARLES PEPPER.