The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-18
ATTEMPT ID JUSTIFY
 THE CENSORSHIP
Two White Papers Issued by British Government
COMMERCIAL BRANCH
More Heard About the Press Censor ship, But Commercial Branch Has Been More Severe-Many Work
 CTS Are Employed in Bureaus

London. Max 25.-tCorrespondence of the Associated Press.)-Particulars of the British governments methods Of censorship over newspaper messages and over commercial cablegrams and postal correspondence. are given in two White Papers, which hear the titles Memorandum on the Censorship" and Memorandum on the Press Bureau
 In the matter of the press censorship, 1t Is stated that the methods used in conducting this are based on a volan tary agreement between the newspapers and the admiralty and war office. Tho work of the press bureau as defined, lis to censor all press cables and in- land press telegrams." The submission of other press matter is voluntary, out those editors who publish without sub mission to the censor do so on their own responsibility and subject to the Ienalties provided under the defense of the realm act The staff of the press bureau" says the memorandum, Icon sists of the director, Sir Stanley Buck master, two assistant directors, Sir Frank Swettenham and Sir Edward Cook, a secretary, and about 50 cen sors
 Criticism Is Unsound
 The criticism has been made, and the belief still persists, that the press censors are responsible not only for withholding from publication news which has come to the press from other r than official sources, but also for omitfng from the official announce ments information which the press thinks the public should be given. Apart from one or two instances where the bureau has censored official announce ments, the criticism is unsound. The government departments alone are re- sponsible for the scope and form of the communications they make public 1nd for the rules and directions guild ing the press bureau"
 The memorandum describes the cen sorship as "one of several instruments all designed with the three fold object of preventing information of military value from reaching the enemy, of ac- curing similar information for our own purposes. and of checking the dissemi- nation of information likely to be | use to the enemy or prejudicial to the Allles. So far as is consistent with the attainment of the above objects there Is as little interference as possible with the transmission of correspondence or the publication of news, and every en- oeavor is made to safeguard the legiti- mate interests private and commercial, oi British subjects and neutrals
 Tn the course of the present war it has become apparent that in the censor stlr there lay ready to hand weapon tht full value of which was perhaps not anticipated prior to the war and which can be used to restrict commercial and ni.aneial transactions intended for the benefit of enemy governments or persons residing in enemy countries"
 CensOring the Cables
 The chief cable censor. 1t is explained. ls sehlor officer of the general staff at the war office. He controls some 120 cahles and wireless stations in various parts of the British empire. From 3O00O to 50COO telegrams pass through the hands ol the commercial censors in the United Kingdom every 2 hours" says the memo randuln. The number of censors em- ployed in the censorship of commercial cables is 1S0 in England, and elsewhere in the empire about 4Oo In the United King oon1 they are, with few exceptions. retired naval and military officers
 The objects of the postal censorship ere similar to those of the cable consor- sh'p. All mails which have to be cen so"ed are necessarily subjected to some oelay, but harmless letters whether pri- vi or commercial, are not stopped even When coming from an enemy country or addressed to an enemy person. No letter however. addressed to an enemy country can De transmitted unless it's envelope is leit open and is inclosed in a cover ad- olessed to neutral country. Letters in WA'ch any kind of code or secret writing IS used are liable to be stopped. even if ths message appears to be harmless and tclaily unconnected with the war In the private branch more than a ton of mail Ilattef is censored every week, exclusive or parcels, Commercial correspondence Witn certain foreign countries is dealt %lth Tn the trade branch and amounts to nearly four tons a week" The staff of cohsors required for the supervision of postai correspondence is about SOO