New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-12
lose Their Former Free
dom of Speech and Lib
erty of Action.
SUBMIT WITHOUT
WORD OF PROTEST
Rm After the War There Will Be
Speedy Demand for Relief
from ShackleS.
Bv ARTHUR S. DRAPER.

ro,6on. June When ! came here
vea- ago I was amazed at the freedom
- ACTION of the individual, although
t;s cou7trv had been involved in war
Gov ton months. So far as its civil
lse was concerned, Britain was being
-rr on peace basis. There was no
,ssck on the civilian; he said what
bs ,bogrht. went as he pleased, and was
,ram~e5 full Of confidence in his aoil-
,.y % Give Germany q sound thrashing.
Liberty of action and freedom OF
.,eecb ne erioved i'm the United States,
..,,,e4 81 Joke compared with the life
- tho unbridled Briton. The Hyde
Park orators burned holes in the ar
with their denunciations Of British
.ot..;oi.-s. statesmen and institutions,
while The knot Of listeners shouted
aHear, Hear" Emma Goldman, Cur
,ev FLYNN. Ben Reitmann and other
leading anarchists and international
Workers Of the World would have
turned green with envy.
A year ago the British citizen could
come and 20 about as he pleased. He
did mo-. have TO fight in the army or
navy unless his patriotism prompted
hin. The friendly alien did not have
20 reg. ster at a police station every
lime he went into a new district; there
we're few restrictions on his movements
and his passport was rarely called for
unless he wanted TO 60 to the Cont
aent
Privileges Curtailed.
Times have changed. A year has
seen the gradual curtailment of priv
Usrez until now the things you can
DO are outnumbered ten TO one by the
things YOU can't The defence Of the
realm act covers more offences than
there are stars in the Milky Way. 1t IS
90 elastic it can be made TO fit prseti-
cally any case.
Br.tain's censorship Of news can now
he made Just "a strict as that existing
in Berlin. / DO not mean 10 say that
III is. but recent regulation under the
defence Of the realm act carries a pro-
vision which makes il an offence to have
IN your possession any document con
tsin.ng a report or statement the pup
hcaton of which might among other
lbiDrs. cause disaffection TO his ma
jesty. or 10 interfere with the success
Of his majesty's forces or OF the forces
Of arv Of his majesties allies by land
or sea. or TO prejudice his majesty
relations with foreign powers.
Il these provisions are carried ouV
strictly elitors must lose no time III
going over their mail and returning
an manuscripts which might come IN
der these restrictions. 10 prep ulce
his maiesty's relations with foreign
powers" Is a wide-sweeping phrase ana
tends 20 sober a correspondent when
ne sits down TO criticise any phase OF
the war. even though he is writing Tor
neutral consumption. How stringently
il viii be- carried out in country
famous for the freedom Of its press
time vii. tell.
Careful OF Speech.
A wear ago a man with q crouch
mounted a box and talked until he felt
better: now he thinks twice before ne
mounts a platform at private meet
ing pacifsts and stOp-the-war adVo-
Gates are rather chary about expressing
their views unless the doors are Dolted
and the windows barred The only place
where freedom Of speech still exists is
In Parliament. unless it be the CABINET;
A streak of light from an unshaded
window may cost you anywhere from
thirty shillines TO five pounds; snap
shot of public building or plctuI-
esoue spot containing an anti-alreralt
gun is liable 10 land you IN jan ior
period Of months: riding a bicycle AT
night without front and rear llghls
Will cost YOU money or hamper your
freedom Of action; the sending OIL q
letter containing your description OF
Zeppelin raid to "A friend, even though
he lives within the kingdom, Is an OF,
fence and so is the sending OF sealed
letter by a friend instead Of the post 10
America or any other point OUTSIDE ene
British Isles. IL would take column
or more simply 20 list the onenees
which were not offences in July lSl4.
The Briton who laughed at ana
scorned tho German system of restrlc-
lions and regulations is now expo
riencing 81 Great many of them and;
strange 90 say he takes II an WIN go
grace. but when the war is over ne
won't wait long before ne defnai'us