The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-12-15
Headquarters IN Paris Look
Like I Newspaper Office.
AL PAPERS MUST GET 0. <.

The censor. that mysterious bugbear
Of all journalists and embryo war cor
respondents. Is one of the most inter-
esting institutions In France. says a
Paris correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune. He is always spoken of in
the singular. but II SO he should be
compared to the many headed hydra
Of ancient mythology. The bureau Of
the censure Is the connecting link be-
tween the government and the people.
1t Is the mouthpiece of the military
authorities, through whose offices are
transmitted all the war communicates
and other official statements issued by
the government
Men of few words. these soldiers of
modern France seem to be a part of
their swift engines. merely another cog
In well oiled machine. An orderly
comes down the broad stairs and hands
an important looking brown envelope
covered with red seals to q dispatch
bearer, who places 1t In his breast
pocket and Is of-no hurry or confu-
sion. each unit In its appointed place.
censorins the Papers.
We mount the broad stairs and find
ourselves In a high. spacious room with
an old fashioned secretary at one
END. Behind II are seated several gen.
darmes and c0uriers belonging to va
ri0Es branches OF the service. as their
uniforms testify. We explain that we
have no material TO have censored, but
would like to see NJ. Matt, the chief
censor. IL he can receive us conven-
tently
While waiting in this antechamber
many cyclists come and GO They are
the couriers of the Partisan newspa
pers bringing in the proofs Of the after
noon editions still moist from the
presses. Newspapers in France go
through q triple censorship-all tele-
grams conveying the news of the out
side world. all photographs dealing with
military actions and finally the paper
itself to make sure that no editorial
writer or inadverent reporter has al
1 lowed statements to occur which might
be construed as giving information to
the enemy or misrepresent the govern
ment to the people.
IN. Matt win, receiye you, gladly .
Sdeforthwiti we follow our guide be-
hind the mysterious doors along dark
corridor and are ushered into bright.
cheerful room On the opposite wall
Il hung military typographical map
OF northern France with winding
thread pinned at intervals showing
the progress of the war as given in the
Official communicates. 1t resembles
I greatly a train dispatcher's chart in
0ne OF our large railway stations. A
small. slight gentleman dressed In civil.
ian attire comes from desk piled
high with official looking documents,
shakes hands cordially and asks If he
can be Of service. We explain that we
would like very much to see the mys
terious workings of the department un
der his control
Looks Like Newspaper Office.
He laughingly denies that there Is
any mystery attached to it and shows
US into a large room. containing very
little furniture. In the center of the
room Is a long table covered with green
baize. on which stand several typewrit
ers and rotary copying machines. used
for turning out duplicates of the com
muniques and other official statements
for distribution to Representatives oil
the newspapers and various govern
mental departments. A long telephone
switchboard. with a multitude of plug:
and tiny wipking lights. occupies ont
cOrHer. ALI the men are in uniform
some busily typewriting, others await
ing orders, smoking and talking.
Along another hallway we pass man.
open doors leading into the censors of
fices.s Here we see many men busil.
reading the proofs recently brought b.
the newspaper messengers. Scissors
blue pencils and the official seal o
the government are conspicuous. III
Matt regrets that our visit was at sucl
q busy time; otherwise We should hav
had the pleasure of meeting the cen
sOrs themselves.
All Pictures Passed On.
Certain evenings of the week tn
censors entertain their Intimate friend
at q cinematograph performance Civ
en- in the same building. All picture
taken OF troops or positions at tn
front must pass before the board
censors.
In France there Is a great movement
on foot to permit more liberal censor
ing OF the news. particularly telegram
from abroad. A certain group of new:
paper proprietors and editors have p'
titioned the government TO allow s.
lected newspaper men to replace tn
present officers, who, they claim. al
unreasonable in their demands an
cannot appreciate news values Tn
government is reticent believing tbs
e Is better to waste good journalist
material rather than allow any info
nation to escape which the enem
might profit by. Officials say:
IS We learned our lesson In 1870. whe
many btttle vas lost By our talkin
too much. Therefore we do not inten
- commit the same mistakeaagain."