The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-15
Belligerents Now Real
ize Value of Pub
licity
CENSORSHIP
is RELAXED
Writers Are Allowed
More and More
Liberty
~ HERBERT COREY


PARIS, Sept. l2.-Shortly after
the war began various persons
chanted the dirge OF the war CORE
spondent. II was apparent that cor
respondents We're not to be given
the FRI edom they had in other wars.
They could not live al headquarters.
ride an army mule, and call the gen.
eral commanding Jimmy" So that
this conclusion was reached
The war correspondent" said
many eminent people. lis deader
than 4 salt mackerel. His occupa.
ton 10 gone He will have TO do
police court reporting or 60 into the
movies"
Il looked that way at the time.
England, covered with medals and
equipped with khaki uniforms and
tin stoves. They met with an In.
calculable degree Of courteous frost
at the war department They came
10 France and were arrested in pla-
toons. and confined IN COW stables.
They went 10 Russia and were eject
ed from that empire with certainty
and despatch. A squad OF the most
talented of the profession joined the
German army AS soon as the Ger
man army found out about II they
were put over the frontier. There
was even some talk OF shooting one
or two IA spies.
Now the war correspondent has
come into his own. lie has won
triumph over the military organiza-
tions OF the allies and the central
powers. Or perhaps the military or
CARNATIONS have mobilized him. II
Is matter OF opinion. In any case
he IL as important as he ever was.
but in a different way. HIS methods
have been brought up to date, as be-
comes practitioners Of correspond
cnce in this war Of submarines and
seroplanes and gas.
He IN become an asset instead OF
a potential liability" Is the way one
publicist defined his present activ-
ity
Vt the beginning OF tho war the
military element had quite justifi-
able fear that the correspondent
might reveal militery secrets. The
average officer OF stan rank also has
perfectly irrational but quite mill
tary contempt for all professions not
directly connected with soldering.
Now he has learned that he Is be-
set with troubles back home" I'M
less the correspondent is call to
his aid Those responsible for the
conduct OF the various governments
have also learned that the CORE
spondent can straighten out tangles
that mipht otherwise be dangerous.
Three weeks ago there was an
undeniable feeling in France that
England had not been doing her
part. France was not TO blame for
IL. She had been denied all inforina-
ton. Few Frenchmen read the Eng
lish papers, In which the activities
of the fleet an1 army are set out ~
length The French papers have
been greatly reduced in size because
OF the war The space available was
the possibility of unpleasant fric-
ton.
LET us send correspondents to
the English 'front.' was the sugges-
ton of those in authority here.
The correspondents were not war
correspondents Of the old fort, 1t Is
true, They were men whose names
are known in France by reason OF
their literary activities. They told
what the English are doing In the
generous and enthusiastic way pc.
culiar 10 the Frenchman. We In
Paris could feel almost overnight
the difference in sentiment here.
The man on the street has his eyes
opened.
Then the English are fighting.
after alp" said he.
There was still the matter OF the
English feet. Few Of the middle
class Frenchmcn had credited the
fleet with the important functions II
is performing.
This feet. then" said one to me-
what Is II doing? II does not
fight ?"
He must not he blamed for that.
He has two sons and brother
somewhere nj tho front. His atten-
ton II centered on what the French
soldiers are doing, and he did not
realize that the English fleet has not
merely swept German commerce
from the seas. but has penned up an
enemy feet that would otherwise
have ravaged French shores. With
the consent OF the English naval au-
thorities a party OF French journal
lists visited the fleet Their descrip-
tons OF II may almost be described
"a rapturous. | met my doubling
friend the French man this morn
Ing:
"Why were we not told OF this
fleet before2. he asked. I'VE did ,
not know"
This Is not propaganda, but the
dissemination Of information TO
which the public II entitled. In
England the working classes have
teen uneasy from the beginning OF
/ 4. &. =, :. "a