The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-21
Does Not Want Praise From Newspapers-Only Bou- quet for Press Bureau Since War.

respondents generally nave learned the limitations under which they can dis seminate news from belliegrent coun- try and the censors have at the same time generally become more reasonable. In an interview with Sir Edward T. Cook, who, with Sir Frank A. Swetren- ham, directs the press bureau, cor respondent of the Associated Press has been given an exposition of the principles under which the handling of news, both for the foreign and British papers, is administered under war conditions. Sir Edward is best known in journalism as the former editor of the Daily News, and since his retirement from that posi- ton he has devoted himself to literary labors. He has edited John Ruskin's 8 works and was Ruskin's biographer, mak- ing many important contributions to Eng fish literature, and since the war be- gan he has published life of DelalIe, the famous editor of the Times. DOESN'T WANT PRAISE In beginning his exposition Sir Edward told the correspondent that the press ou- reau never censors articles or telegrams criticizing the censorship. He urged the correspondent not to speak too much good of the censorship.
 T don't suppose you are likely to do
 
 terrible blow if you did. The enter
 prisng newspaper or news agency and
 an efficient censorship are natural enc
 mics, and if the day should ever come
 when the newspapers, British and neutral,
 conspired to praise the press bureau, it
 would be catastrophe for one or other of
 us; it would mean either that the jour-
 nalists had lost their go or that our censors here had been neglecting their duty"
 Sir Edward declared that the only ''bouquet' thus far laid at the feet of the censors came unintentionally from Count Von Bernstorff, Gernany's ambassador to the United States, when the ambassa- dor described the British bureau as one
 which ''in it's efficiency and imaginative
 powers has never had it's equal in the
 history of the world.'
 That" declared Sir Edward, "is prob-
 ably higher praise than we deserve, but I
 think it is pretty good evidence that we have prevented some things which the enemy would have liked and done other things which he has disliked That is a real compliment, for the press bureau is a war department
 Sir Edward pointed to the British gov ernment's notification upon the outbreak of the war that the telegraphic and radio services throughout the empire would be suspended, and he emphasized the phrase contained in this notification that the government would under certain condi- tions permit the transmission of some messages ''as an act of grace" WRONG VIEWPOINT 'T sometimes wonder he went on, whether it is realized that instead of regarding every instance of a stopped cable as an act of wrong, you ought by the letter of the law, to recognize every passed cable as an act of grace l* The number of messages which we stop, delay or otherwise deal with is negligible compared with those we pass right away.
 Tn quoting the government notifica- ton in practice we do not, assure you, say, when a message is put up to us: Here is an American message; come, let us kill it; we have the right. What we actually say to ourselves is: Let us see if this cannot be passed as it stands. And if it cannot: Let us see how little need be taken out
 Sir Edward explained that the censor ship is governed by the defense of the realm act, by the regulations made under it by order in council, and by instruc- tions, explanatory in detail which are issued from time to time by the press bureau and by various departments of state.
 The object of the censorship which the British government imposes, said Sir Ed ward is twofold: First, to prevent the | British press, and the cables over which | Great Britain has control, from being used to disseminate military and naval | information likely to damage the cause | of the entente allies or to be of use to l the central powers; and, second to pre- vent the British press and cables from giving other assistance to the enemy. We have had to turn down a good many stories for naval and military req sons,' he said, and there has been much criticism of the government (and of the
 bureau, which is its agenD for the re- | strictions imposed in the matter of raids. l But surely it is not desirable to pre- sent the enemy with information as to 1 his route, as to the exact places where he hit and where he missed and so l forth
 ENDANGERED MANY LIvESS l Sir Edward recalled one American story which censor had refused. '"The writer, ? l he said, had. in heedlessness, given in- 1 formation which, If it reached the enemy, might have endangered many lives
 {, What about your second category?' ] the correspondent asked What sort of | things do you censor on the ground that, otherwise than by disclosing military in- | formation, they give assistance to your enemy?"
 We are engaged in life and death struggle with very powerful and very | resourceful foe.'' answered Sir Edward. Imagine the following case. which we will call hypothetical: suppose you found | that your cables were being used to send reports which, when not absolutely un- true, were intended to magnify German victories; to preach the doctrine of Ger 1 man all-powerfulness; to depreciate this country and her allies; and to do every thing possible to influence Germans throughout the world and neutrals wher- ever they may be found, to sympathize with Germany and her allies to push her propaganda, advance her cause vilify England and our allies, and to stir up hatred against us in every corner of the globe where it seems possible to embar- rass us. Suppose you found this to be going on. What would you do? Sir Edward referred to 'the very large
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