Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-31
WAR CENSORSHIP SHOULD
NOT HIDE THINGS DONE
Sir Frederick E. Smith, Great Brit
aims Censor for First Year,
Expresses His Views.
ON VISIT TO THIS COUNTRY
People Ought to Know Heroic Deeds
OF THOR Friends--Idings OF VAL
or Give Inspiration and Make ALI
More Ready to Do Their Share.

OF Inolr trlcnQS--l101nRS OF val
or Give Inspiration and Make ALI
More Ready to Do Their Share.
NEW YORK. December So.-What
should war censorship be like? Should
it BIO an institution that keeps from
the people OF a nation news which is
known TO that nations lighting men,
and to tho cncmy-or should 1t BIO an
institution that gives to nation all
the news 1t can without ut the Same
tine making public anything which
may be OF valuo to the foe?
In the opinion OF tho man who was
Great Eritain's censor during tho first
year Of the present war and who now
is a visitor to this country-Sir Fred
crick Edwin Smith. the Attorney-Gcn-
eral OF England and veteran OF the
early ighting-the censorship OF any
nation will find it the most successful
policy to let the people know every
possible aspect OF what has been done.
while. OF course, withholding inror-
nation as to what is going to be done
in the way OF military or naval &C
ton.
TELL what troops have been In COM
any individual or collective deeds OF
heroism they have performed. Let tho
people know just what their friends
ond nciEhbors who went out TO fight
for them are accomplishing" said Sir
Frederick last evening in an interview.
provided. OF course" Sir Frcdcr-
ick explained. that We arc morally
certain this information IL already in
tho euemy'a hands. which Is bound to
DO the case in any action where pris-
oncrs havo been taken or where the
enemy has had an opportunity to learn
the identity OF those who have fallen
PEOPLE At HOME SHOULD
KNOW WHAT ENEMY KNOWS
III the enemy knows what units
wcrc involved in y baltic. certainly
the people at home should know.
THE morale OF nation at home is
quite as vital thing to be maintained
as the morale OF an army at the front
And 10 my mind the morale OF those
back home may best BIO kept at 4 high
point by complete news Of their
armies''
Sir Frederick wished to have IT un-
derstood that he was not crit!c.zinS
tho British censorship = which has
Sroadened considerably IN recent
Honths-nor the American censor
| ship-of which he knows nothin.-bu.
was merely Offering upon request ad-
vice from his experience and juds-
;ncnt
There are two things involved in
the morale OF nation at homo which
may be greatly aided b. letting the
nation know as much al possible OF
what is going on at the 'front.'" he con-
'lnucd. One is the consolation Il OBJ
! td!ns from learning that it's fallen
mon went 10 their end calamity hight
( ing, At some certain place and against
some certain unit OF the cnemy--!f that
can bc told. Then again there Is the
| inspiration that news OF a battle, vic
| torious or otherwise, provides, tho IA :
/ triotic emotion IL creates, tho added
recruiting of those able to take a part
at the front. the added resolve OF those
behind TO do their share. Ey all means.
! ] say. let the nation know what has
been done.
- censorship should not merely say
our troops did such and such a thing.
They should say what troops. and
where, and how. England. I think,
made serious mistake early in the
war by simply saying our troops in
! the reports which were allowed to
reach home concerning the aghtinE.
ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION
GETS OUT TO PEOPLE;
That allowed the impression to get
, abroad-as 1t did--that the Canadians
and Australians were doing all the
lighting, and that tho Enslishmcn were
being held back, whereas the truth ia
that 50 per cent of the casualties in
those carly days were suffered by the
men Who went right from England TO
the front.
"Eut the British censorship has now
broadcncd materially. II we do not
give the exact identity OF our units
and frequently we do give that--we at
least say our West Country troops or
our Lanca shire troops or whatever
they were.
After ] had left tho censorship for
ether duties, l learned of a battle in
which two friends OF mine had conc
20 death fighting most CALAMITY. I
wrote Of this TO the Viccroy OF India.
whose friends they were also. Yet
their names were censored out OF my
letter. That. I insisted. was silly.
y opposed the policy of entire Sc
crecy from the very beginning. Eut OPP
other years and other wars. However
am glad to say that conditions now
are much better in that respect.
"of course the identity o: units sent
EENHYxWyY