Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-10-23

Uu a Iva ~. I'm under the Act of Congress OF
March 3, 1879.
Fora;pn representatives: Cone, Lor-
anzsn q woodman, Advertising Blos:,
Chicago: 225 Fifth Ave-, New d 1ork
CITY. 5o3 Victor Bldg, Kansas Ci'S'
Mo.
TREATING THE PUBLIC RIGHT.
Amer;can newspapers and the men
Who make them have become 90 49, o
toned to arbitrary ana sehseiss
tions by the mis-named commll.e. ~, vi
public information at Wasnlhsson sns
only the more aggravated anu
vatins instances arouse eoitor,ai Oh
rer nowadays. Yesterday prousnl one
" A. O'Clock. when every afternoon
newspaper east of Denver was rounu .-
inr into the home stretch OF us Gay >
race With the news and when the iase
editions of the eastern papers were VI
fhe streets. the information Dureau'
oyer which the imaginative George
C,se1 nresfdes, announced that IN nal
a. honr Il would make public state,
nnent sof the highest importance
from the war department. ~.
: For half an hour The Courier held
&c machanical and editorial forces IN
readiness for quick action on a pis
.tor That same half hour, IN eacn
~ me hundreds of afternoon news
n.rer ofY,ces throughout America, was
nna AZ supreme and hectic actlvl.y'
Mar.-inr editors, news editors, tele-
sr.nh editors. copy readers, reporters,
printers, stereotypers, pressn'enn . Hnr
nevsboys became minute men. a.a
tasks were shelved and decks VIZ
cleared for the handling OF inc s.o.y
II which no intimation had Deen slsen
except the cryptic announcement
from Mr.. Creers sanctum.
Minute after minute tcked oy' anu
Anally. at 1882, men who hung over
telegraph operators typew1ters ~
each Of these hundreds OF omces, resu
min message from the Washington Oh
Aee Of The Associated Press:
To editors: The committee on
nnhnc information now notifies US
That the important statement re-
Serrad to in our previous note Will
No. Ia issued before o'clock
eastern time. There is no avail
ana reformation at this time as
men the thousands Of men who had
A..n victimized by the autocratlc MI
Creel went back to their EVERYDAY gu.
ties to await the pleasure OF the man
mo arbitrarily tells the people OF the
.cnntyv facts about what their govern,
Mani il doing, or decides, as ne ulu
1ssterday. to postpone the telling until
.,sj$A h1o fO him.
M Creeps sudden and unexplained
.har.e Of mind robbed practically
every afternoon newspaper east -.
newer of an opportunity 10 give l.s
readers yesterday the lnformatlon ,, 70
eardinx the sinking OF the Antliles'
vhich obviously could have Deen niaue
nnblic as easily then as at an hour
rhen they could not handle IT.
TIL. were the only instance OF the
..r+ A. eould pass unnoticed, but teie-
.r.nh editors all over the country
S.ya become familiar with the ire
nnent errors and the arbitrary de-
msnds made by the Creel bureau.
Th.v haye ceased to wonder why IT IS
.ecessarv for the safety OF soldiers III
rance to suppress the news OF tneif
.rrivai there after their transatlantic
VOYAGES. They are resigned to sncn
xtrict iniunctions as that issued a re"
days ago against publishing the siight-
est intimation Of the personnel OF the
American delegation to the forthcom-
inr conference OF the allied govern
ments In Paris.
The editors Of the newspapers IN
America are the link between the gov
eminent and the public. 1t is their
dnty to maintain public confidence in
the government and the administra'
ton. and with few notable excep-
tions they are doing their very best to
reform that duty. Mr.. Creei is
mafine their task most difficult and
thankless one by assuming unwarrant'
I'd and autocratic power in the name
Of the government.
The substitution OF practical news
paper man of experience, known judg'
ment and absolute impartiality for the
arbitrary and spiteful Creel is duty
the administration owes to the news
eapers which are doing everything In
their power to help it win the war.