The age-herald., 1898-05-18
MUCH WISDOM IN
 PRESS CENSORSHIP

ENl41O S11tkJOTA0A11E
 The action taken by the departments of both the war and navy to establish cen sorship over the news of the movements of the army and navy. as well as the con- templated action Of the heads of the de- partments, is not an unwlse act. It may not be pleasaing to some newspaper people, but it's a good thing nevertheless. The ab- solute freedom which the American press has enjoyed in being given access to every avenue of news since war began has kept the people of this country thoroughly post ed upon every war-lilke movement. The newspapers have been so accurate in their reports that Spain has been thoroughly cognizant of everything happening in this country.
 It has not been necessary for Spain to keep @ representative at Washington to in- form his government of the movements be- ing made by this government against the enemy. All this class of information has been spread throughout the country in the daily press, and as soon as printed in America was quickly cabled to Madrid. The enemy has had equal advantages with this country. It has known every move ment and every contemplated movement. It has known the whereabouts of every American ship and no attempt until the day before yesterday was ever made to conceal any information. from the public that would be of advantage to the enemy.
 There has been marked difference be- tween the publication of events transpiring at Madrid and those taking place at Wash- ington Information concerning the Span ish fleet has been mysterious. While the American papers have printed numerous dispatches stating the whereabouts of the fleet in the Atlantic, 1t has been proven that much of it was guess work It was but a few days ago that New York paper boasted of its exclusive information that the Spanish fleet had returned to Cadiz. This particular paper went further and said that President Mckinley and his cabi- net had thanked the paper for furnishing this government with that valuable nfor- nation. It has since developed that there was not a word of truth in the alleged news. The Spanish fleet had not returned to Cadiz, nor was there apparently any thought of it by those in charge of the spanish admiralty. Upon the contrary the spanish fleet was in some other part of the Atlantic ocean. in fact on it's way west ward.
 The Standards might have given out the information that it had returned to Cadiz' That was a trick of those people. While the Americans were believing the fleet to nave returned to the eastern side of the Al - ltic if was. in fact steaming toward the western side and placing itself in position to deai the American navy a most decided blow. This is A time when a press censorship IS needed The interest of the government IS of far more value than the mere publication of news. This is a country of free speech and free press, but there s some things that should never be printed in a newspa- per The movements of the American navy and the contemplated campaigns mapped out by the departments at Washington are government secrets and should be so main- tained. It will of course be difficult for the government to keep all of it's acts, or proposed acts, absolute secrets. There are too many ways by which information may leak out. It is safe to say, however. that from this time on great care will be exer- cised by the heads of the departments and that the possibility of victory over the SpanlardS Will De materially ulcredseu'
 
 great deal of Spain's strength so far has been in the fact that that government possessed all the knowledge of things doing and to be done by this government. Gen. eral Blanco at Havana has been as well informed upon the condition of affairs at Washington as has been the secretary of the United States navy. He has his emis- saries in this country who have kept the Madrid government informed and in turn the officials at Madrid have communicated direct to Blanco by way of the cable to South America, thence north through the West Indies to Cuba. A press censorship is good thing at this time. It will do no one any 0arm, but upon the contrary will be of great benefit to the government in it's prosecution of the war.
 gnt