New-York tribune., 1908-04-12

Bessarabia and Batoum was divulged h,
copytst having access to dispatches in the p.
sign Office. There was confidential talk an,.
the Admiralty officials. and II came to the 49,,
a military writer for the press: and the exiz,.,.
OF the correspondence. which ought only 10 -
been known to the King. Sir Edward Crsv ~"
Lord Tweedmouth. was revealed in star,r-
form to the public. The Lord ChanceIlor,, .r
IL enacted, viii subject newspaper enterur.
this character to heavy penalties. Editor, u
publish at the risk OF Imprisonment matte
common gossip in West End houses ara .s~
which cannot be denied when question.
asked In Parliament.
Book publishers would be IN a Uo--. a..
Sir Horace Rumbold's diplomatic reruin,sr.s-
would have been excluded under the pro-..
censorship OF journalism and literature -
the publisher under contract TO issue ths 49,
would have incurred serious llabliria. -
forty-two years limit would have disahr.a ~
John Morley In the preparation o. ~. -.
biography OF recent times-ths III. a. 80
stone. whose personal relations with O.
Victoria required frank and AUTHORITATIVE. -.
ment based upon correspondence. Ths cs-,r-
stances connected with his fnaI resixna.,o
and the appointment OF a successor fnvolv.s
a passage OF secret history. and the couur,t
Gator OF the information. as well as tho MR.
Usher. might have been technically Habls ma.
a close Interpretation TO the penalties frnno...
by the Lord ChanceIlor's bill Probably -.
disclosure was not made without the knowIssr.
and approval OF the King; and the volumes =,
Queen Victoria's correspondence have bean
edited and revised by representatives OF -.
Court. precisely as Sir Theodore Martins book
now in press. has received official sanction. Yet
while these precautions are taken IN inpcrtan,
instances without the restraints OF law. If 4,
evident that the proposed limitations and uen
alties would be most vexatious and troubIesor,
TO writer's OF biography and political remI-
niscence, and to publishers IN quest OF vlvaciou,
personal records OF current events.
There is indeed no evidence that the exfytfr,
official secrets act needs TO be strengthened and
rendered more drastic. Only three instances
can be cited during the last thirty years when
state secrets have been divulged. These are ths
premature publication OF the secret engags-
ments between the Beaconsfeld administration
and Russia and Turkey. the Rumbold indiscrs-
tions, and the German Emperor's correspond
ence with Lord Tweedmouth- The law now
provides adequate means OF dealing with ths
treachery OF copyists and clerks trafflcking IN
confidential documents. and there is no neces-
sity for increasing the penalties. The Rur5oa
"reminiscences involved small points OF dipo-
matte usage and good taste. and were trivial
indiscretions IN comparison with Prince Bis
marck's disclosures Of secret German diplomacy
after his retirement from the German Enperor's
service. AS for the recent comedy OF man
ners. public laughter has been directed against
busybOdies and irresponsible gOssips with
wholesome effect and there is no necessity for
the ponderous mechanism OF legislation. The
moral from the farcicaI performance IS thar
foreign sovereigns ought not 20 write privats
letters with jokes in them, and that ministers
OF the Crown. after reading them and showing
them 70 the King and the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs. ought 10 burn them and say nothing
about them. a censorship law after the end
of the comedy is a bit of anti-clinax which DIS
closes the Lord Chancellor's lack OF humOr.
The real safeguards for the protection OF stats
secrets are a highmirded civil service and
habits Of reticence and good taste in refrainins
from superfuOus talk about royalties. There 3
no body of public servants in the world so close
1nouthed and cautious as the British Civil Ser
vice. They never talk about their work 10 out
siders and invariably resent as fmperttnent ques
tons from journalists respecting public affairs.
II secrets ever come out they are not at fault.
but the heads of departments. who are some
times SO indiscreet as TO take personal friends
into their confidence. The whispering and social
tattle then begin and II is not long before there
is a leakage into newspapers. Yet the ministers
OF the crown know how 10 hold their tongues
Cabinet secrets are never disclosed until II Is
time for an authoritative explanation. As for
the royalties, they are protected by the generally
recognized usage OF retiCenCe. II is considered
the worst possible form for people in society Or
in clubs 10 talk about them. No references arc
made To them In Parliament and the news
papers are content with formal announcements
of their public appearances and social engage
mentS. King Edward takes u most active inter-
est in diplomacy and does not neglect any
branch of the practical business OF reigung. but
what he does passes without observation and
there is never any talk about his manifold
activities and extraordinary resources OF inhu-
ence.
The censorship which Lord LOreburn seems 70
favor is quite unnecessary for the safeguarding
OF state secrets 1t is wholly allen 70 the spirit
OF free press and to the deccncies and rights
of national literature. An attorney general whO
should order the arrest OF editor or publisher
for offences under the proposed act. OF assume
authority for the rUmmasing Of desks and pTi-
vate files for suspected material, would be ths
laughing stock Of the town As FOR legislation
against gossipmongers in clubs and drawing
rooms, IL would be as ineffective as ponderous
steel crushers for the determination Of grass
hoppers or mosquitoes The only professional
goSSips 10 be taken seriously are court diaTis-s.
GossipS of the GreviHe type: and they have BE-
come too old-fashioned for these busting times.
I. y F.