The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-07-27
BRITISH CENSOR
BOTTLES THE NEWS
London War Correspondents
Unite in a BeIated
Revolt

London, July 27.-The war CORE
spondents in South Africa have united
in a belated revolt against the mill
tary censorship. Bennett Burleigh. q
veteran Of many campaigns. describes
the censorship as "bungie and
blunder" and declares that the soon.
Ter the whole mater of unoicial CORE.
er the whole matter Of unofficial CORE
is conformable to free institutions the
better it will be for everybody. Ed.
gar Wallace asserts that there moth
ing so far as the military position is
concerned to justify the maintenance
of censorship, and that it is creating
q bad precedent since the only ser
vice which lt cal render is political
one savoring somewhat of Russia:
nay. IL is Krugeran" Howell Glynne.
who has remained in the field contin-
uously since the outbreak of the war,
holds his peace IN addition to the
general restrictions based on military
reasons established at the opening
Of the war. the following regulation
enables any censor to reject or con
dense every dispatch submitted Il
him.
In furture the length OF coirespon-
dents wires will be in proportion to
the importance of the news contained
therein.
The correspondents consequently
are disabled and unable to justify by
cable work the expenses of their SER
vices. The country, which is heavily
taxed for a costly war, does not know
what is going on, and is forced 70
be content with casualty lists and
Lord Kitoheners inventories Of
Beers killed, wounded and surrender
ed, and Of stock, rifles and ammuni-
tion captured.
T. must be stated in justice to the
war office, that the London journals
we're warned in advance that their
7 correspondents would not be left at
j liberty to write and to go as they
pleased and were asked to adopt prac
teal measures for reducing the mum
Der of men in service and for re
lieving the wires from the pressure
I of newspaper work These consulta
r tions at the outbreak of the war were
q fruitless and scores of correspondents
= We're sent to South Africa without an,
( attempt on the part of newspapers e
= regulate the business of reportini
3 campaign news. Nth long lines o.
g communications and with the wires
l. clogged with routine messages re
f quired for the movement of troops
t and the provisioning of a great army
e the press dispatches were Neglected
n held back, condensed and mutilated.
S It is not easy to understand wha
y are the political motives for tine sup
3 preston Of news from the seat of war
r. The government has a well drilled
$ obedient majority IN the commons
n and is supported by the great mass 0
o opinion in the country. There is nj
IS revolt against It either on the minis
It terial side or in the constitueucie
where bye-elections are held. The OF
position Is faction rent and demora
J.: lied, and quite incapable of offerin
e strenuous resistance to govenmel
j. policies; and the pro-Boer agitator
re have made no impression upon publ
H. opinion. There is no alternative gol
ig ernment possible while the campaig
remains in progress. and minister
have no conceivable reason for drea,
ing possible revelations from the sea
Of war Some Of the incidents whlc
have been suppressed would bea
4; heavily against the advocates of tn
Dutch cause, both here and on III
continent
in The Vlakfonteln atrocities whel
Beers killed the British wounded, f,
example if fully confirmed In deta
OF would tend 10 ALLEVIATE the sympatt
Id Of irreconcllable radicals and adml
ing foreigners for the Beers, III
fact that the horrible story Of L.
a shooting Of the wounded has bee
ds suppressed for over a month and le
TO come out little by little IA soldier
letters to their friends at home e
ng cites suspicion that there may ha
a been drastic measures on the Britli
side in effecting the clearance
various districts and in establishil
Sc concentrating camps
nn