The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-13
KEEPING THEIR SECRETS.

l One of the latest evidences of "Japa- nese progressiveness," as a contempo- rary puts it, will doubtless strike most Americans as a very dangerous or doubtful kind of progress. We allude to the order of the Mikado that war correspondents shall not longer be per- mitted to travel or remain with the armies, and it is stated that all, or practically all the newspaper corre- spondents have been detained in the rear of the Japanese forces.
 | As before stated, this action will by many in this country be looked on as g tyranous and nnwarranted interference l with the freedom of the press and as a backward step in the march of in- telligence but is 1t? We must remem- Der the wonderful change that has ta- ken place in the business of sending news, even within the memory of the present generation. Formerly weeks would have been required to transmit news from Japan to America, or to England. Letters were sent by the comparatively slow and infrequent ves- sells which steamed or sailed between the different countries, and long before the news of contemplated movement could reach the outside world the de- sign would have been accomplished and publicity could do no harm.
 It Is widely different now. As well-informed contemporary says, the improvements and advances are sucb that instantaneous communication has made the war correspondent par ticularly dangerous person. Informa- tion which leaks out m one quarter of the world concerning an army is car ried within a few hours to the enemy. A dispatch can travel from the Japa- nese front via London and St. Peters, burg back to the Russian lines within two or tsree hours. A rigid censor ship would eliminate the information of value to the enemy, but If. in one case out of a thousand. the censor lapsed in vigilance the damage result ing might undo the work of an entire | campaign"
 | Newspaper correspondents are not always the wisest of men. Even if | l jects they may not be entirely wise on military matters. A matter of appar- ently trivial importance may be of mo- ment to an enemy. The numbers and morale of an army, the condition of the men, the efficiency of the officers, the supply and condition of arms and am- munition-all such matters, if commu- nicated to the enemy, might have mo- mentous consequences, and might cause disaster when least expected. Besides, armies as well as individuals are worried and disturbed by mystery. An army kept in complete ignorance of the condition and purposes of an enemy is easily disturbed and demor- alized.
 | It Is true that government, or the commander of an army, may establish a rigid censorship, but that is not all ways effective. The censor himself may not always be the best judge Of what Is or Is not of importance, or he may at some time fail to keep strict watch over all branches of his busi- ness. An apparently insignificant item | of news slipping out from an army may be of vast importance to the ene- my and may win or lose a battle. Knowing themselves engaged in struggle for existence the Japanese do well to keep their own secrets, and if will not be surprising if all other gov ernments follow their example in time of war.