Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-03

= DAILY KEN
the front. The Germans learned from It
that French troops were quaftered In the
village and showered shells upon 1t.
The censor's apprehensions are ire
Quently declared to be exaggerated, most
of the news that he considers dangerous
the editor considers inoffensive. 1t Is not
the censor who always decides. The real
head of the censorship is the commander
in-chief Of the French armies. His or
ders are transmitted every day and the
bureau of the press must rigidly follow
them. News, the publication Of which
is cosidered dangerous today. may be
no longer dangerous tomorrow, and it is
often in this release of news, the publi-
cation of which is no longer harmful,
that brings upon the censor the charg.
of caprice.
Instructions regarding naval matters
come from the minister of marine. while
the ministry of foreign affairs decides
what diplomatic news may be published.
News Of general political bearing Is
referred to the premier himself, Monsieur
Viviani. who is the court Of last resort
and whose sleep Is troubled at all hours
Of the night by telephone calls from the
Bureau de la Presse."
Newspapers complained that when the
German atrocities were fresh they could
not publish them, while later on, after
the battle of the Marine. when they had
ceased to be news. they were allowed to
(vHx 1A too n
these details was prohibited because
that was supposed to be what the Ger
mans wanted and because the wider cir
culation given to them. the more would
be the chances Of intimidation. After
the battle of the Marine these reasons
disappeared.
The newspapers were also astonished
that the censor should order them to
cease publishing the state of the barom-
eter. 1t hadn't occurred to them that
knowledge of the weather indications
would be of great service to the pilots
of German aeroplanes and Zeppelins.
People seeking in the newspapers the
sailing dates Of French transatlantic
liners found them missing one morning,
and few Of them had the thoughtfulness
to connect this measure with the pres
ence of submarines in the English
Channel. At one time the papers pub
lished freely expedients used by French
prisoners in Germany to inform their
families how they were treated in spite
Of the German censorship. This was in
teresting, but the exposure of their sub
terfuges rendered them useless for the
future. Pathetic recitals of the escape
of prisoners from their guardians, how
they got back to the French lines
through invaded regions. with names of
the villages through which they passed,
sometimes even the houses where they
were sheltered. were extremely danger
Gus. They exposed the families who
sheltered the soldiers to punishment by
the German occupying troops.
The officers of the Bureau de la
Presse'' resemble somewhat the proof
reading room of a great newspaper. The
staff is mixed. part military and part
civilian. including many retired officers
who have resumed service, many others
who have been wounded at the front and
incapacitated for further active service.
The chief is a well known lawyer and
men, Journalists and dramatic authors.
During every hour of the "a, the blue
pencil Is busy on cables From to IL
A. NJ the proofs of noon papers are
read. From 1 to 4 the proofs of the eve
ming papers and from P. NJ to 4. A. NJ.
the proofs of the morning papers, besides
which every one of the 50 newspapers,
every one of the weekly and monthly re-
views. illustrated papers and magazines
are carefully read after publication in
order to detect any infraction of the
law, not emitting the advertisements, for
papers have played the censor the doubt
full joke of putting prohibited informa-
ton into this form.
Newspaper forms are generally made
up before the censor's verdict is received.
and rather than make up again the in
eliminating articles, paragraphs or
words are chiseled out of the stereotyped
plate, leaving white blanks on the page
sometimes covering column-or two
sometimes a line or two. This gives rise
to amusing incidents. General Cherfils
wrote an interesting review of General
Maud'huy's operations. The censor cut
out the details and what the reader
found on the page next morning was
this: General Maudhuy is hero-he
has not washed himself for rs days"
The editor of a socialist organ wrote
an article regarding a certain country
that he said was threatened with a
revolution" The foreign office forbade
any such reference to the internal affairs
Of a friendly nation. and the censor con-
ceived the brilliant idea that the article
could be made inoffensive by simply cut
ting out one letter. He made the editor
say the country was Threatened with an
evolution"
SPARKS FROM MAINE WIRES,