New Britain herald., 1916-01-13
CENSORSHIP FIGHT
 ON IN REICHSTAG
German System Of Controlling
 News of War Attacked

Berlin, Jan. 13.-The debate on the censorship is being continued with un- abated vigor in the budget committee of the Reichstag. The present sys- tenn of controlling the home press and the news service of foreign countries is being energetically attacked by rep resenta tives of all parties, who are virtually unanimous in demanding greater liberty to discuss questions of internal politics, and who insist that the German people has shown itself cool-headed, mature and patriotic enough to be permitted to look the situation in the face and term its own judgments on events and on the nations problems.
 So far as can be judged from the reports of the committee proceedings appearing in the press, virtually no criticism is directed against the workings of the purely military cen sorship. The deputies apparently are convinced that the military authori- ties are the best judges of what may and what may not be published without danger to the country. The attack is levelled against the political features of the censorship.
 Goethe Under Ban.
 The authorities, apparently acting with the idea of supporting and en- couraging the "burgfrieden' or poli- tical truce, among the parties, have gradually been bringing contentious topics of the most varying nature un- der the operations of the censorship. Speakers complained that the censors had intruded into fields which had not the slightest connection with the military or foreign political interests of the empire. They complained, too, of the censors' arbitrary measures and their lack of understanding for the problem of newspaper publishing. Even Goethe has fallen under the ban of the censor, who has stricken out quotations from the great German poet.
 A representative of the center who opened yesterdays discussion broke lance for the foreign correspondents. He urged the military authorities to be liberal in re-admitting foreign and German correspondents to the front in the interests of Germany herself. The great victories of the Serbian campaign for example, had not been appreciated abroad, particu- larly in America, he declared, owing to the failure to permit correspond ents to follow the operations.
 A socialist speaker favored every l thing which would assist in bringing | the war to a successful conclusion, 1 but he declared that suppression of public opinion by the censor did not to this end, but the reverse. Harmful publication of military in formation must, of course, be careful lv supervised. he said, and he willing lv would trust unreservedly in this the judgment of the military authorities. He objected, however, when the po- r. lice endeavored to rorce through, under guise of war measures, pol icies which they had been Vainly at tenn mpting to introduce before the war, such as police control of private meet ings or prohibition of dancing.
 Advantages of Discussion. This socialist speaker expressed be- lief that the time haG come when discussion of the aims of the war could be permitted with advantage both at home and abroad. A great deal of nonsense would naturally ap- pear, he admitted, and immature writ CTS would probably continue to dis russ the size of the roast before the ra bbit was bagged, but he considered that the advantag ges of discussion out " weighed these miner objection. ..