The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-15

ihio Ntch party Vi oU EHBilSH anu
American journalists visited
ereat French centers OF munition
making. Their report was OF little
interest TO the average reader. who
knows and cares little how guns are
made. But somewhere in each arti.
Gle emphasis was placed upon the
spirit OF the French workman.
I'VE do not strike" he says. mot
We. We are In the war as much as
those others ut the front
IL Is to be assumed that the Eng
lish workman Will take the moral
to heart Almost coincidentally vari-
Gus English writer's OF note-Kipling
and Bennett and others-were
guests OF the French army. Because
England has concentrated It's atten-
ton on it's own army for perfectly
natural reasons, II seems probable
that feeling has grown up that
this war Is an aitruistic enterprise
on England's part. Robert Blatch-
ford in the London Sunday Dispatch
voiced this feeling the other day in
an article in which he declared
this quotation Is perhaps not YER
batim--that eve are lighting for
France"
Nothing OF this sentiment appears
in the writings Of the men | allude
to. There can be no doubt that this
correction OF prevailing misconcep-
ton will be OF value In France, as
well as I'm England. Frenchmen be-
lieve that England II fighting quite
as much as for her own preserva-
ton as for that OF France, and the
thought voiced by Blatchford has
created much bitterness here. None
OF these causes of friction need have
arisen IL correspondents had been
given the freedom in the past that
it appears they are TO have in the
future
In different way a similar and
equally legitimate use was made of
English correspondents In Russia.
Al the outset they were barred.
There has been an agelong enmity
between England and Russia, and IL
England were To be denied knowl-
edge Of what her eastern ally was
doing there would ne at the least a
probability OF serious misunder-
standing. Lord Kitchener at first
refused TO permit newspaper men to
go to Russia, and sent instead as
commissioner very excellent
h..
professor OF Russian In the Liver.
pool university. Perhaps the expert
ment WAS not altogether successful.
At any rate he has not been heard
from lately, and almost all the i'm
pOrtant English papers have CORE
spondents in Russia now They are
permitted to take liberties in writ
ing their matter that are almost
shocking TO these who know what
the Russian censorship can be on
occasion The Russian internal
censorship has been greatly relaxed
for the same reason, although the
Russian mass has not demanded the
same quantity and quality of inform
alton 4 democracy feels rs its right
From tho moment the early rigid
ity OF the censorship relaxed France
mas been more liberal than any OF
the warning countries. Correspond
ents nave been given privileges here
that are refused them elsewhere.
Az no time has there been any sug-
gestion OF propaganda. There are
certain restrictions as TO the use
of the cable at tines, but no EFFORT
has ever been made to restrict the
use OF the mails. No case has arts
Ell In with correspondent is
charged with revealing military Sc
crets. and comment has been entire
ly unrestricted. In England the 9TH
or day the correspondent OF an
American weekly In the textile trade
was sentenced to prison for com
ments upon England's wool trade.
An incident OF that sort has never
Occurred in France.
This Is not to say that Frances
internal censorship Is not severe
che. Publications OF sort calcu-
lated TO shake the courage OF the
people are very properly forbidden.
But there are scores OF periodicals
In France In which the very freest
sort of free speech appears. Now
and then an issue is confscated or
an entire article n excised. But
nothing happens to the writer. NJ
Clemenceau and Gustave Herve and
others lambast The government lib
orally upon occasion. One member
Of the government n privately quot
ed az expressing the opinion Of the
cabinet:
I'VE resent what they say" said
this man, but they have done good.
Democracies exist because of free
speech"
In Austria and Germany condi- |
tons are different. Autocracies as
they are, the right of the people to
know something OF what is going
On is recognized. Ii is possible. as
charged. that the news that comes
from the outside may be literally |
doctored, but the people may read
daily OF the triumphs and suffering |
Of their soldiers. There is a Great |
Press Headquarters" with both the
Austrian and German armies, and
properly accredited correspondents
are given considerable liberty in