The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-11-17
NEWS IN WAR TIMES.
England Hopes Hereafter to Emulate
the Example of Japan.
Baltimore News.

Baltimore News.
The control of news in war time is
being discussed in England. The value
of secrecy to a belligerent nation is
of vital importance. Every one real
ICES what an advantage Japan had by
keeping the whereabouts of her ar
mics and ships unknown to the world
Toxic was the silent city OF the war.
The news that came over the caole
told only Of results. In fact, the GEN.
sor went so far as to refuse the con-
ifirnation of some results. For exam
ole. it was not until after the battle
of the Sea of Japan that Toxic an
nounced the sinking of the battleshlp
Yashima by mine while blockadlng
Port Arthur. The Yashlma went
down on May IS, 1904, but it was not
until June I, 1905, that Toxic blandly
bulletined: :'The necessity for Sc
crecv no longer existing, the navy de-
nartment announces the loss OF the
battle Yashima," etc. Of course, the
news agencies had reported the loss
of the Yashirna from Chinese ports
long before that, but the silence OF
Toxic was an example of her oontrol
of the issue of war news. In st. re-
tersburg the correspondents were
given free hand, and column after
column of speculative matter was ca
bled from the czar's capital during the
.eneaeements of Lao Yang and Muk-
den. while telegraph editors the world
over waited for the official bulletin OF
TaDan which, told who won. Not how
i it happened, but what happened.
In the house of lords recently LORD
E.llenborough brought up the ques-
tion of the English government taking
steps to control the dissemination OF
news in case of an emergency. lie
pointed out that millions of pounds
are expended yearly for the malnte-
nance of cavalry for land service and
scouts and cruisers for sea service
whose chief business during war
would be to ascertain what the enc
nv were doing, and asked IT 1t was
not desirable to take steps that would
nreyent the issue of such news as
would inform an enemy OF Englanos
warIike proceedings. Considering 6he
success of the Japanese, he suggest
ed that the laws and pfoclamations
OF Japan bearing on the subject be
transmitted to both houses OF parlia-
mens, so that the public could study
the question as to whether Englands
laws needed alteration.
Lord Peterborough called attention
TO the fact that the Times recently
mentioned nhrnber of cases in which
information was conveyed by British
NEWSPAPERS to an enemy who made
4,,l, use of the knowledge thus obtain
ed. No legislation on this subject was
possible. he said, without the sup
port of the press, and he hoped that
other periodicals would follow the ex-
ample of the Times, the Morning Post
and the Globe and declare their m
tention OF supporting a movement IN
favor of the solution of these prob
lens.
The first object :of newspaper is
+a :nresenr the events of the world
accurately and intelligently at the ear
HEST possible moment. Yet nothing
could be more. absurd than war With
out censorship. The correspondent
realizes that he is on war footing
End is willing to work under such re-
strictions as are sane and just. Inc
manner in which the suggestion TO
enforce in London during war the
restrictions that were put upon cor
RESPONDENTS by Kitchener in the Sou-
dan and South Africa will be awaited
with interest.