New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-04
ATTACK ON BRITISH
CENSOR IS RENEWED
informing POST Regrets
News of Audacious Loss
Was Suppressed.
SAYS GERMANS GLOAT
OVER KNOWING FACTS
Newspaper Would Like to Speak
Plainly, but Fears the Tower
if Ii Does So.
[By cable 70 The Tribune J

by Cable 10 The Tribune
London. Dec 3.-"The Morning Post"
to-day publishes an editorial renewing
the attack on the British press censor
ship, with particular reference to the
secrecy enjoined on the British press
regarding "a certain naval mishap now
nearly a month DID," the particulars
of which have appeared in American
and other papers.
1--WE should like to speak plainly on
this subject" says "The Morning Post
yet the Tower may await Us II we DO.
The British press is. in fact, forbidden
TO mention a mshap to the British
navy of which the press of the whole
world is speaking. The German press
has for some time been in full posses
sion of the facts, which they gathered
from America, and are gloatlng over
them, not so much because they relate
TO a material loss, but because their
suppression in England seems to them
to offer evidence that the British ma
ton is in a state of panic and IS not
to be trusted with the truth.
"Thus. for example, the 'kolniscne
Zeitung' says: The British government
did not dare TO communicate THIS Sc
rous loss to the nation because II
feared universal excitement. very
low estimate is thus placed by us own
government on the nerves and charac-
ter of the English people when gives
one cause to think
eve are bound to say that Tor once
we agree with a German newspaper
IL does give one cause to thlnh. mere
is involved a mishap Of consideraoie
material dimensions, no DOUBT, pul
nothing to cause anything more tnan
national sigh of regret, and II Is
treated by the government as II
were some appalling catastrophe, 80
dark that merely to read about IL woulu
throw the nation into state OF lren|!'
II is ridiculous, but it is also humlilaS-
ing. We say plainly that 1t is an insult
not only to the British press DuI "
the British nation ., .ha
"The Morning Post" attributes ,ne
blame for concealment TO winston
Spencer Churchill, and again demahus
that the control of the Admiralty DC
left in the hands Of experts
Taunts Annoy "The Times"
"The Times" says in an editorial on
the same subject: .a and
"Tbn Government have received ana
still enjoy the full confidence OIL Ine
nation. irrespective of party, put they
are NOT rewarding adequately the trusV
renosed in them. On Tuesday we drew
attention to the fact that pieSe -
news with which the whole worlu ou.
side of these islands Is acquainted "@
still being concealed. Al nrst ~
we're excellent reasons Tor cohc1a.'ne
il hut these reasons no longer oO1 :,
Members Of any club when TeceiSe5
American newspapers may reau II, a.
oven see pictures of the " NueleeIo ,,
bv CENSOR. The entire German pc
has known of il for many days, anu We
have numerous German newspapers III
our possession in which IT, is uiSo"''D
with exaggerated exultatlon'
"We have no sympathy "hatesei
with the efforts made in otner guar
ters to base a general attack on tne
Admiralty policy upon this isolateu III
cident. We believe that IN all essen,
tial matters the royal navy 10 III
skilled and competent hands. we are
bowever. very much concerned ABOUT
the taunts now being levelled aV 'ne
british government by the press ol
Germany and America, oh1o
at is being said and we are uhaolo
70 answer the charge that our gov
eminent are afraid TO trust the brl'lSn
nublic and will not tell them tnI
truth. The government nave place.
the press of this country III al; an eA
ceedingly difficult position. we re-
ceive hundreds Of letters asking uS
whether there is any toundatloh III
various stories, which more ofteh tna..
rot are fables Up TO certain pom.
we were always able IN reply 20 IeI,
upon the assurance of the government.
FIAT II would deal with the county
frankly. At present we cannot maN
this reply, and the results are oep.oi
able. r;c
"As a decision originally necessary
hos been foolishly maintained far too
iong whv not say so candidly and Leu
ms all drop this unwelcome topic:
"The Daily Telegraph" says IN an
"a misfortune not, happily, involv-
inc loss of life is said to have oc-
curred some weeks ago, and complaint
has been made that the public mas oeeh
Lent in ignorance. II is reported tnat
FIJI accounts have appeared in Ameerl-
can car' newspapers and that the news has
even been published in the German
nress. Arc we sure that the enemy
does know not merely something of the
incident but everything? We must be
convinced on this matter before we can
criticise the Withholding OF any par
ticular item of news
The certain naval mishap" referred
10 by "The Morning Post" is undouot-
edlv the loss of the battleship Au-
dacious. which was sunk on Lough
Swillv in Ireland on October -.