Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-08-07
THE ACTION OF THE BRITISH
CENSOR CONVICTS GREAT
BRITAIN AS A LIAR.

A wireless message was sent to
this country from Berlin by Ameri-
can newspaper correspondents pro-
testing against the British censor
ship OF war news sent by them to
their American newspapers. The
protest reads as follows
I'VE, the undersigned, American
citizens representingAmeric news
papers in Berlin and with the ar
mics Of the central powers, finding
that many of our dispatches concern
ing both political and military
events are suppressed, mutilated or
delayed by the London censors, call
the attention of American publisher
to this situation. We emphasize that
under these circumstances we are
unable to present to the American
public vital half or true and fair
statement OF the most important
events of the war.
THE London censorship, which
for a time, treated our dispatches in
spirit of fair play, has gradually
changed its policy until today its re-
strictions from an American stand
point are impossible. We have
asked Ambassador Gerard to in
quire If the American government
can secure to the American press the
facilities for getting legitimate cable
news unhampered by the handicap
Of the British censorship"
The signers of the protest were
Carl Ackermann of the United Press;
James O'Donnell Bennett of the Chi
cago Tribune, Cyril Brown of the
New York Times, Seymour Conger of
the Associated Press, Endcris of the
International News Service, William
Bayard Hale of the New York Amer
ican, Oswald j.. Schuette and Ray
mond e. Swing Of the New York
Globe and Chicago Daily News, and
Karl Wiegand of the New York
World
But strange to say, only a few of
the newspapers among the many
concerned were willing to print it,
or the New York Newspapers only
the World recognized the value Of a
statement of conditions which char
acterizes the present British Ad-
ministration as one of indeterminate
stupidity, and supports it in a short
editorial comment, in these words:
'Since no military purpose can be
served by such methods, the con-
clusion must be that Great Britain is
intent upon deceiving the world out
side the war zone as to conditions
existing therein. To this extent,
therefore, its censorship exhibits
hostilities toward neutrals without
inflicting damage upon the enemy.
The situation in Germany Is not
changed by the mutilation or de-
struction of messages giving an ac-
count of It.
"The case Of The Worlds repre-
sentative, Mr., Won Wiegand, of
whose seventy-two dispatches In July
only twenty-one were received, shows
conclusively enough that London is
as determined and ruthless in its
blockade of news as it is upon any
measure of actual war. There must
be a reason for this policy"
The World suggests that there
must be reason for this policy"
Yes; and the reason seems to be,
that Great Britain wants to make
the neutrals believe that the Central
Powers are getting weak and will
soon be crushed Great Britain
seemingly hopes that in this way
she may keep the neutrals from re-
belling against her oppression, that
they may keep on enduring think
ing the war will soon end with a
crushing defeat of Germany, and
that it will therefore not be wise to
awake the i'll will of Great Britain.
But the protest of the Berlin cor
respondents gives the American
reader ample reason to believe that
the news from London, picturing
great victories" OF the Allies in
France. Wolhynia and Galicia are at
least half lies. The action of the
British censor convicts Great Britain
| as a liar.