Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-05-05
MUST WE BEGIN TO FIGHT by
REPEATING ENGLAND'S MOST
DISASTROUS BLUNDER?
(From the New York American,
Nav 4.

SOIGly Leuplcu 10 IlSh Lut pcudlllCS
of the Defense of the Realm act and
tell the people the appalling truth
about the submarine warfare.
This Defense of the Realm act is
practically duplicated in the Es-
pionage bill now before the Con-
gress.
After nearly three years of trial,
under actual war conditions, the
ablest Englishmen denounce their
espionage and censorship law as a
grave mischief worker. Lord North
cliffe charges the censorship with
having delayed preparations, covered
up disasters, shielded incompetent
leaders and caused English defeats
on the field of battle.
Admiral Lord Beresford declares
that the same censorship, by con-
cealing from the English people the
extent of their shipping losses during
the past three months, has kept the
ration from practising food econom-
les, and is wholly responsible for the
country's deadly peril.
Now, these two men are wise and
patriotic Englishmen, and their posi-
tions enable them to know exactly
what has happened and why it did
happen; and when they so emphatic
ally denounce the censorship and
point ont all the mischiefs and dis
asters England has suffered on ac-
count of that censorship, it does
seem, gentlemen of the Congress,
that we ought not to begin war by
making the worst and the most costly
of all England's huge blunders.
There was excuse for the English
Government. 1t had no example to
guide it's decision. 1t was compelled
tc experiment in the dark.
But we HAVE an example. We
are NOT compelled to experiment.
And if we repeat this terrible mis-
take, we have NO EXCUSE.
You will observe, too, that 1t is not
censorship over editorial comment or
criticism upon which Northcliffe and
Beresford charge England's disasters,
but censorship over news-the con-
cealment or Justification or misrepre-
sentation of MILITARY AND NAVAL
OPERATIONS.
Thus Lord Northclffe points out
the dreadful losses endured by the
British armies because the people of
England were kept in ignorance of
British defeats due to incompetent
leadership and inferior ammunition
and equipment, so that more and
more frightful losses occurred before
the people were, aroused to compel
a change of leaders and methods.
Thus Admiral Lord Beresford de-
clares and proves that England's
present plight and imminent worse
disasters are due to the wretched
blunder of keeping the English peo-
pie ignorant of naval operations, OF
concealing and minimizing the ap-
Mailing havoc the German submarines
are making.
It is,no secret that England's case
is desperate, on land and on sea-
and there is no thinking man in Eng
land. who is in possession of all the
facts of the war, who does not realize
that one of the most powerful factors
in bringing England to this desperate
case has been the constant deception
Of the English people by the censor
ship; the constant concealment OF
defeats; the constant falsehoods in
regard to German weakness and ex-
haustion; the constant lulling of the
nation to sleep in FOOLS paradise,
dreaming of victory while defeat and
disaster were at the very doors, ready
to burst in.
The fundamental error of this
whole conception of censorship is
that it assumes the incapacity of the
people; that it assumes the superior
wisdom of handful of men in Offices,
who want to let the people know
only what and how much these
superior persons think it good for
the people to know.
Now, as matter of fact, the one
outstanding feature of this gigantic
world-war is the amazing lack of any
great wisdom, of any broad states
manship exhibited among the allied
governments.
Whoever examines thoughtfully
the State papers, the public speeches,
the conduct of diplomatic and mill
itary and naval affairs, and the pre-
posterous wabbling of purpose and
definitions of objects which have
marked the conduct of all nations
public affairs during these past three
tremendous years, must be lost IN
amazement over the futility OF the
minds which have labored upon the
wars huge problems.
At times the diplomatic exchanges
and recriminations have more nearly
resembled the quarrels of children in
a playground than the considered and
weighty utterances of wise men, deal
ing with questions affecting the des-
TIMES of the human race.
Aud as with the diplomatic policies,
so it has been with the military and
naval operations--one uninterrupted
succession of mediocre commanders,
each duly hailed by a subservient and
grossly ignorant press as the coming
military or naval genius and savior;
and. as an inevitable consequence OF
this mediocre leadership, success
sion Of defeats and disasters and
criminal blunders in Gallipoli, Meso-
potamia, Greece. Serbia, Rumania,
Galicia, Poland, the Baltic provinces
and everywhere else. which are re-
lieved by no substantial military or
naval gain in any theatre of the war;
so that, after three years of desper-
ate warfare, the world sees England
and those who depended upon her so
cut-generaled and so beaten on land
and sea by the Germans that their
commissions are crowding to our
capital for help to save them, and