The age-herald., 1898-06-10
The Press Censorship.


 The Baltimore American denounces, in a signed editorial, the press censorship as alike unwise and un-Ameriean. MT. Angus says:
 Tn opposing this unwise censorship am not in any measure advocating that the government should make known to the pub lie any strategic plans winch in your judg- ment should be kept secret; but, as in el- ligent people, they have right to demand that they be kept informed as to actual events-that just as soon as the truth is own they te erl gh ned as to the mea- sure of victory that has rewarded the brav- cry of our men. The press censorship tn t makes his imposs ble is unw rthy the age in which we We and savers strongly of an autocracy which our forefa hers never in tended should ex st in this l berty-lov ng country. During the ate war almost ev- cry ship. almost every camp, had a news paper correspondent, and history a te s that they were intelligent aids in cr tcal engagements and to a man held invio ate any info matt that might have proved an advantage to the enemy.''
 MT. Angus is at least half right. Take the movement against Santiago de c ba, for example. All the informat on in Flor Ida or elsewhere would not aid the enemy particle, simply because that same cn- NAAS SfNiii Ut SClo d HldI UT d gun UT d SHp to Santiago. Help al Ike from Havana or Mad id from Blanco or Sagas ta, is impo; ;- sible. Santiago is as much isolated as it would be if it and it's harbor eonstitutf in an unfrequented sea an entire lit le island. On the land side all insurgents that permit no courier to rass. no telegraph line to stand, and there are mountains so that no railroad, not even a highway, tra- verses. At sea Sampson is supreme.
 And yet all the secresy that would per haps be justihable if cables were uncut and Havana was about to be assailed, is main tained in connection with the Santiago movement. Russia could not teat it if she tried, and she certainly would have SC se enough not to try under Ike circumstances S. The censorship keeps nothing in relation to Santiago or Madrid. that can be utiliz ad in that movement 1t Is simply senseless an1 tyranical No m litary necessity demanCs it, because Spain knows that Santiago is to be beseiged. She is helpless She must. stand stll and wait for results. The pre- vailng mystery is therefore purposeless.
 The censorship possibly covers up some of the redicuous acts of omission and m- mission of the amateur quartermasters and commissaries that Mr. Mckinley, with al eye to 1900 has recently appointed. In his effort to curry favor with this or that mogul he has subjected, through the ap- pointment of the sons or other relatives of the moguls, brave men to/many un1oc S. sary discomforts, and the censorship serves the administration at will in that resrect. But the truth VII leak out, and the ser vice is of a temporary nature. The blum ders of the new staff will become known, and much loss of public interest and public appreciation will be the only results of censorship applied to case like that of Santiago. A little wise discrimination is plainly needed. discriminate cens ship will not be long tolerated in this country.
 The folly of indiscriminate censorship at Tampa is shown in the news that came over the cable yesterday from London. The entire story of the movement under Gen eral Shafter against Santiago was thus dis closed, and yet similar news direct from Tampa to points in the United States was suppressed.