Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-08-20

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the end of every European cable, US
ing huge blue pencils without stint
or diffidence, it is perhaps no wonder
that definite, detailed news of the
great European war is difficult to get
and that there are suggestions of. un-
Fairness in the handling of despatch
es from some of the war stricken ma
tons. This especially applies to Ger
many, from which no cable news can
come at all until it has filtered
through either a French or English
cable station.
Since the first guns were fired in
the siege of Liege, in Belgium, Ger
mans throughout this country have
lodged bitter complaint that news OF
their armies was colOred to make 1t
appear that the Fatherland was suf-
fering disastrous reverses, whereas,
1t was asserted by the same persons,
Germany was holding up her end with
her accustomed bravery and success
in all the early engagements.
While there is no disposition on the
part of the great newspapers of
America to misprint or mislead, 1t is
not improbable that some news from
Germany that might have given a
more optimistic picture of conditions
from her standpoint has not been
published. This is due to the fact
that it has been next to impossible
to get information through by way
of cable stations in other nations un-
less the other nations desire to have
it published.
For the same reason it is perhaps
a fair assumption that some Of the
other nations have been able to have
published news of their own affairs
which they were glad to see in print.
1t is all part of the game" as a com.
bination war and cable expert said
recently. But he added, what is
sauce for the goose is sauce for the
gander," and as the war. progresses
conditions will doubtless 9ehange.
Most Rigid Of c%ensarships.
At the present time the German
cables r interrupted. It is assumed
that they have been cut. Therefore,
If the German army officials should
give out an official report of a battle
in which they were victorious, the
news would have to be sent either
through a French or English cable
station-unless it were carried over.
land to the Far East and licked from
there to the Pacific coast of America,
and as, under the rules of nations
which hold forth now, "All is fair in
love and war;" the english or French
censors could, if they wished, sup
press the entire cable despatch.
While they have most likely sup
pressed some, it Is nevertheless true
that they have let many come
through as originally written. There
Is every indication also that the
French and English have emasculat-
ed many of the dispatches bearing on
their oWn victories and %reverses, the
whole aim of the censorship being
to surround the army movements
with secrecy SO that the "other side
will not known what is being done.
Never within the memory of cable
operators now living has there been
anything like the rigid censorship
over cables that is now exercised by
all the nations and, of necessity, by
the cabe companies themselves. No
cipher or code messages are accept.
ed by the companies to any of the
nations now engaged in war. No
mystery" or code messages are ac.
cepted to any European countries, for
the simple reason that at present to
reach almost any section of the Eur.
Opean continent they would have to
go through a British or French sta
ton, and there they would be held
up.
War time is, in the rulings of wal
generals, no time for secret messages.
During ordinary times many of the
big financial, importing, exporting
and industrial corporations do practi-
cally all their cabling In cipher, They
make one word convey the meaning
of half a dozen or more, thus saving
tolls. This means tens OF thousands
Of dollars saved annually to many big