The Washington times., 1901-10-27
SURPRISING WAR NEWS.
London Newspaper Complains of the
British Governments Course

We have complained frequently In these
columns. not of the Governments using
its discretion in the publication of official
neWs-that is part of the functions of all
government. and the use of such discre-
1ion is especially necessary in time of war
but Of the particular way in which the
Government suppresses- We have assert
ed, and shall continue to assert. that the
extracts they make, the edition they is
sue. does not so much keep back what
may help the enemy as what might con-
vey TO the British public a true and there
fore alarming picture OF the state of af-
fairs at the seat of war. We have repeat
edly pointed out that public opinion being
/ the ultimate arbiter of public policy, this
! persistent nourishing OF false optimism
was as foolish as is the habit of running
into debt in the case OF an individual 1t
has. among other things. grayely inter
fered with recruiting and re-enlistment-
both vital necessities of the moment; 1t
has probably lent a fictitious value to GER
tain securities. and 1t has certainly pro
duced that unstab condition in the pub
lie mind which makes it exaggerate the
importance of every petty reverse, and
jncIines II on receiving any bad news TO
demand methods of warfare which would
ruin our already precarious position.
That our aEcuSattDn aBaltSt the bONtiii-
rneut in this matter has not been clearly
understood is evident from the following
protest which we have recently received.
The spirit of this protest Is presumably
tvpicai OF that confidence in our present
authorities which can only lead TO a dam
gerous reaction in the immediate future:
ITO the Editor of The Daily News;
Sir: / regularly read the Daily News,
not that ! agree with its views on the
war OF the manner in which they are put
forward, but / have what Imagine you
VIII probably consider the weakness OF
being willing TO look at the other side
Of a question. j am not a thick and thin
supporter Of the present Government but
/ can hardly credit the accusation you
make against them today.
You say. or. to be more accurate, you
allow your Military Critic TO say tpage
J. column 81: Lord Kitchener sends home
aaiiy a long despatch. 1t reappears, cut
,own and edited. conveying as many false
Impressions as the public can bear
This seems 10 me a serious charge TO
make. and one that 1 presume your con-
tributor would not make without good
evidence. VIII you be good enough to
state the evidence in your possession sup
porting the statements of the fact con-
tained in my quotation2 ] am. sir, yours.
truly. J. Y. l. C.
The gist of this protest cannot lie
against The statement that Lord Kitch-
,ner reports daily to his superiors upon
the state Of the war. Nor can it be against
The statement that these daily reports are
relected and edited by the War Office
Such editing and selection is a principal
DUTY of all the public offices In all coun-
tries and, as we said above. is especially
the duty Of war office in time Of war
The protest attaches. therefore to our
statement that the process OF selection
Amounted to mutilation. and that the pub
lie was deceived by 1t "as much as IL could
bear"--f e.. up TO the point where II
would begin to suspect its fnforman;s AZ
q fact. we believe that point has been
pissed After the recent petty reverses
Here went up from many Government
ps pers a conpisint that opinion was not
fully or accurately informed. a nd the cur