Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-08-31
MONDAY. AUGUST 81. 1914.
RELIABILITY OF WAR NEWS.

Much has ,been said concerning the
reliability and unreliaoility of war
news during the past month. News
papers and news agencies have been
accused of suppressing, distorting Inc
inventing news in order to influence
the ~sympathies and the Judgment Of.
their readers. In almost all cases
these charges are utterly without
foundation. The reader who will dis
miss his prejudices and look calmly
at the facts will admit this.
The moment that the war begant
ordinary lines Of communication were
cut off, and the ordinary methods Of
transmitting news became valueless.
In every one of the warning countries
strict censorship was. established, and
nothing In the nature Of information
was permitted to be sent out which
has not the approval Of the censor.
Not onlyewas his the case, but, CORE
spondents were placed under very
strict regulations concerning their op-
po%rtunities for obtaining information.
First, then, the conscientious CORE
spondent was restricted in his ,oppor-
tunities for ascertaining the facts. and
when he asascertained any of'theIn,
he was permitted to SEND out only
such and so much as passed official
inspection. This was true not in one
country only, bait in all.
Each official board of censors was
willing to pass only such matter as
was not likely to give useful hints
to the enemy, andtsuch would be like
ly to create a Favorable impression
at home or abroad. The very reasons
which made a givenvdispatch desirable
for publication from the Berlin stand
point made it undesirable from the
standpoint of London or Paris. And,
because the cable service was in the
control of the allies most of the Ger
man dispatches, if any were at
tempted, were suppressed, and only
those emanating from London. Paris
or Brussels got across the Atlantic.
Consequently, the news.of every Ger
man reverse was given great promi-
hence, and hat Of every German sue
cess wasnmade as inconspicuous as
possible. Fortunately for the oppor-
tuI1lly OIL AtllotICdnS 70 Cpldln a laiTly
impartial view of the situation. the
Germans have got their wireless to
working, and partisan reports from
the allies are offset by equally parti-
san reports from the Germans, and
? the reader who uses some common
sense and a little discrimination can
arrive at a reasonable accurate view
of the situation.
Concerning the handling Of the re-
ports by the Associated Press, of
which this paper is a member, the
reader is invited to observe that I'M
usual care Is expected to state clearly
the responsibility for each dispatch
which does not originate with the As
ISOLATED Press itself. Facts which are
definitely ascertained to be such by
the Independent investigation of Asso-
cieted Press representatives are stated
as facts without any reservation or
qualification, and these statements
Ia be relied on absolutely. But in
the very nature of the case the Asso-
ciated Press is not able to verify all
the rurnors. some Of them very i'm
portant, which get into circulation,
and yet, as a matter of public infor-
nation, it is important that the peo-
pie shall know of these rumors Ac-
cordingly. each report Of this charac-
ter, which appears to be important.
and yet which cannot be verified. is
credited to the source from which II
originates. We read in a London dis
patch that the correspondent Of the
Telegraph sends the following report
to this paper; that the correspondent
Of the Chronicle SAYS this and 90;
that Reuters has a. dispatch from St
Petersburg or Berlin to the follow
this and some other agency says that;
and so on. The Associated Press does
not guarantee the accuracy Of such re.
ports. 1t tells what they are, who
sent them. and from where, and give.
them for what they are worth. There
could not be a more fair, impartia
and dispassionate method of handling
news.
And it is worthy of note tina i,
spite Of all the obstacles: in spite O
the most rigid censorship ever estab
lished; In spite of the enormous mum
Der of men engaged and the NANTES
impossibility of covering all the mino:
features of the war. the hundreds o
engagements by regiments and bat
tAlions, the advances here and re
treats there the people of this countr.
have, up to a few hours each day.
very satisfactory and comprehensive,
knowledge Of the progress Of the con
test, and a more accurate knowledg,
Of actual battles, Of advance and re
treat, Of the taking Of cities and tn
changes Of alignment than has eve
before been given in connection witt
any great war in the history of tn,
world within 80 short a time after tn
actual events.
WHERE WAR STRIKES HOME.
An eastern paper publishes a pic
TIRE, said to have been drawn by al
witness. Of the storrning Of on
81 the Liege forts and the flight Of tn
rasidents from the vicinity. High Of
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