The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-14
THE cENsoWs woHK AND DUTIES



ti&er
zone Of the principal duties Of the CEN
sor." said Grant squiers, the cable censor
of New York, lis to suppress whatever is
Objectionable In the dispatches from the
front from the point of view OF good taste.
II is difficult to say in general way just
what these things are. But for the most
part they consist of the embellishments
that the correspondents put into the ac-
counts to make them more thrilling or hor-
rible. They are not news, and they are not
picked up on the battlefield They are
carnations of the writer's own imagiua-
tions One of the most common OF these
embellishments is that In which the vul-
ture is the principal figure The sensation
al correspondents are very fond Of describ-
ing how the vultures swoop down after
battle and pick out the eyes of our dead
soldiers and tear their flesh from their
bones. Now such stories, In the first place,
are not true
but do they not see the birds soaring
over the battle-delds?"
Yes, of course, they see them but they
don't see them tearing to pieces the dead
and wounded for the simple reason that
the dead and wounded are removed from
the field as soon as they fall. The vultures
don't have a chance TO get at them All
SUN SUITES are written out OF the writer's
own heads. But even If they were true we
should suppress them, just as we suppress
everything told about our soldiers that Is
revolving or likely TO give needless pain to
those whose friends are at the front.
Then, Of course, great many facts
have to be suppressed. Nearly everything
that relates to the future movements OF
ships and armies, especially IL names and
dates are given, Is put out. IL does not
matter much IL a dispatch says that an
attack will be made tomorrow or next
day, for that will be most likely a matter
of common Inference But details of move
ments that are 10 take place a week or
two weeks hence cannot go through. The
correspondents try all sorts Of ways TO
communicate such Information TO their
papers. The commonest trick Il to deny
the Information they wish TO convey Thus
the correspondent VIII wire: 1t Is not
true, as has been reported that such and
such vessel left such and such a place
yesterday for such and such a place The
editor would understand at once that the
vessel did leave. Sometimes the informa
ton is put in the form Of a question: Tt
IS not true, is it, the report / hear from
New York that such a vessel has left such
a placer The editor would understand
that too. OF course, we never let such
message go through. All press messages
in cipher are, of course, suppressed. Only
the government is allowed 10 use cipher.
Anything, In fact, that has the least APP
pearance Of conveying any Information
other than what appears on It's face IL
suppressed"
But suppose the message appears per-
fectly innocent and makes good sense?
Such message might convey forbidden
information.H
eve don't pretend to be infallible sup
pose that might let such messages pass,
but certainly look out pretty sharply for
them. also"
Mr. Squiers was sitting In his office. Al
Wall street. His desk was covered with
cable dispatches, which he had hastily
turned over 10 conceal their contents the
moment the interviewer appeared on the
scene. A messenger boy appeared at this
Juncture with "a number OF dispatches.
MY work" continued Mr.. Squiers tear
ing open the dispatches ana reading rapid
~, "consits not merely In reading the press
dispatches; represent In a way the signal
service in New York, and have to commun-
icate Information as well as censor il. This
war Is distinguished from ak other wars
since the time Of Noah or whenever II was
that men began TO fight, In the complete
and rapid communication that Is kept up
with the front all the time. Never in any
war did the telegraph, the telephone and
the able play such an important part,
and It Is safe 10 say that without them
the military and naval authorities would
not have dared 60 undertake the gigantic
operations which are now in progress. AL
most every day. for instance we receive
here dispatches from Sampson or Shafter-
like these | hold in my hand-asking that
various things be sent TO them. This does
moi indicate any lack OF foresight on their
part for things they want are such as no
one could have foreseen the need of when
che fleets and armies left this country. They