Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-01
PROTEST AGAINST
RIGID CENSORSHIP
German People Want to Know
Whole Truth, Even If 1t
Be Unpleasant.
MUCH NEWS LEAKS THROUGH
System Has Not Kept Enemy
Countries From Learning
of Happenings.

BERLIN. September 3o.-The time
evidently Is approaching when the Ger
man authorities will be powcrlcss TO
resist the popular demand for the modi-
tcatlon OF the censorship which. 1t Is
generally claimed. serves only to keep
the German people In ignorance while
II has failed to keep news from leak
ing through to enemy countries. Even
paper like the Vossische Zeitung finds
occasion to indorse this demand OF the
German public to know the full truth,
pleasant otherwise
Let us put an end, TO the censor
ship" tho paper says. for every for
eign country IS very accurately in
formed on everything that happens
here. whether It has been published
in the papers or kept secret"
Patriotic German journalists. discuss
Ing tho usefulness OF the censorship
when in the hands Of military officers
with no newspaper experience. agree
that the German government has
created fertile soil for secret cir
culars and pamphlets which are passed
from hand to hand. slipped into mil
lions of private letter boxes. or pushed
under the door. and these pamphlets
do unspeakablc harm b. adding TO the
spreading disorder ana war lassitude.
SCANDAI.OTS APPEALS
SENT THROUGH MAILS
1T Is not exactly stimulating at this
time, when you need all your patriotism
10 bear UP under the blows which our
country has suffered during these last
threo months" one OF these Journalists
said TO me. Ito find your morning mail
practically every day consisting chiefly
OF typewriter manlfests or scandal
Gus appeals printed in some obscure
establishment. in which Il group OF
patriots or tho united workmcn OF
Y or the mothers and housewives
OF y ask you TO exercise your
rights az a German citizen and demand
peace and food, II you do not wish to
maze yourself an accomplicc In the
crime OF starving German families to
death"
AS an example, one Of these anony-
rlous pamphlets read:
"At the front our brave soldiers no
longer salute their officers. Should we
show moro respect towards these
super patriots. who are sending our
fathers, brothers. sons and sweet
hearts to the slaughter house in order
TO grasp n few miles OF Eround?"
Another says:
I'VE have bought the assistance OF
those contemplate Turks. who. in
turn, dcspisc us. We have entered
into dreadful war for the sake OF
our ally. Austria, which Is falling TO
pieces, and we shall have to pay
hil~h price for our loyalty. Prussia is
pushing the confeGcratcd states 10 the
last extremity. and we have brought
upon ourselves the hatred of the en-
tire world to no use whatever. This
is the Inheritance which our children
Will get from us.
We Social Democrats do not want
any annexation of territory, we do not
want foreign people brought under
German rule, who, in time of danger,
Will Jump at our throats with the
desperate strength of the oppressed.
We want to rid ourselves of the junk
crs and OF the military madmcn. who.
In their Unsuitable thirst Tor conquest,
have brought about the disaster which
is turning Europe upside down
We want peace, nothing hut peace,
Let us not he too proud. now that all
Europe is against us, TO offer peace
now. when we were not too proud two
years ago to violate it