The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-03
FRENCH CENSOR
HAS HARD TASK
Bound By Instructions From
Many Sources, Frequently
Changed
BUT HE'S DOING HIS BEST
When He or a Member of His
Staff Lets Something Get
By, Result Is Quickly Seen.
Real Censor Is Command
er-in-Chief of The French
Armies
tBy the Associated Prexs).

my OT o~S1A*e AEtSJ- |
Paris, July 31.-The bureau of the |
censor, or Bureau de la
Prcsse'' as it prefers to be known, is |
fmiiarly called "Anastasie'' after a
dressmaker who was the heroine of
a popular song and who, like the CEN
sor. was busy with a sharp pair of
shears during the second empire; she
has become his patron saint.
The propriety of the name is ques-
toned by every editor whose COPY has
been slashed. The work of Anastasie
was methodical, following a rational
plan. and executed with undoubted
taste and discrimination, while the
censor of today is compared by Pa
ilSian photographers to an editor with
a bilious view of life, a supreme con-
tempt for the feelings Of his fellow
man and "A sense of news approaching
hysteria or nightmare. This view
grows ont of h apparent caprice, in
consistency and Inconsistency of the
censor. He cut mercilessly yester-
day what he let go through the day
before. and what he killed yesterday
he approves today. He slashes the
copy of one editor and allows another
tr publish the same thing. Parts of
the same dispatch are eliminated from
the proofs of n paper, and over
looked in another, and SO on.
Doing Best He Can.
The fact is, undoubtedly, that the
censor is doing the best he can. If
his work seems to be ragged to the
journalist, it is because he is bound
ty instructions from many different
sources that change and accumulate
every day. If it is not uniform it is
because a large staff is required to do
The work and the general result is
bound to reflect different personal
viewpoints.
The general plan of the censorship
was defined by the law of August S
1914, forbidding publication of new
of movements of troops, composition
of units or attachments of the army
details of defensive works, number.
of wounded, killed or prisoners, fact.
concerning ornaments, material o,
supplies, sanitary situation, promo
tons or changes among general off
GERS and In general any informatio
likely to be OF use to the enemy or ac
harmfully upon the spirit of the arm,
of the population. Following hes.
general rules special recommended
tions are transmitted daily from tn
general headquarters.
Results Of Neglect.
The consequence Of uncensored ref
ences to bOmbarded towns was show
in the caSe of a city, certain quar-
ters Of which, that had been spared
were indicated in a newspaper article
The text day the Germans directe
their fire upon the blocks of house
indicated in this article. Another ar
ticle cited industrial establishment
exploited by the French army, nc
tar from the lines. Immediately tn
Germans bombarded them and tn
French were obliged to abandon then
A weekly periodical published
photograph Of a priest saying mas
Tor a congregation of soldiers at a vi
iage near the front. The German
learned from it hat French trOoI
were quartered in the village an
showered shells uponi t.
The censor's approximations are fri
ouently declared to be exaggerate'
most OF the news that he consider
dangerous the editor considers abs
utely i~noffensive. 1t is not the Gel
sor who always decides. The re
mead of the censorship is the con
mander-in-chief of the French a
MES. His orders are transmittt
every day and the bureau Of the pre-
must rigidly follow them. News, Il
publication of which is consider
dangerous today, may be no long
dangerous tomorrow, and it is often
inns release OF news, the publication
winch is no longer harmful, tn
hfngs upon the ensor the charge
caprice.
Source Of Instructions.
Instructions regarding naval ma
"tfs come from the minister Of m
flhe, where the ministry of foreil
ahalrs decides what diplomatic ne
may be published. News Of a &c
.ral political bearing is referred
me premier himself, Monsieur VII
d"i who is the court of last rest
ana whose sleep is troubled at
hours of h night by telephone ca
from the Bureau de la Presse."
newspapers complained that VIII