Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-05
CENSOR|NG CABLES
ABOUT j. S. TROOPS
Secretary Baker Makes No Et'
fort to Find Legal Au-
thority for Action.
EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE

The War Department since last Tues
day has censored news dispatches from
France which had already been passed
by foreign censors.
1t defects incoming cablegrams at
New York to Washington. where they
are censored and turned over to rep
resentatives of the press associations
and newspapers, to whose New York
Offices the cable messages are ad-
dressed. The Associated Press accounts
Of the Fourth of July celebration In
Paris were among the dispatches thus
detected and delayed.
Secretary Baker today issued a state
ment explaining the operation OF the
War Department censorship over cable
dispatches from France dealing with
the American troops, saying that the
present arrangements are temporary
and soon will be supplemented by
method that will not delay delivery.
Of Gen. Pershing's headquarters in
France" the statement said, with the
arrival there Of correspondents accred-
ited to represent American newspapers.
the temporary arrangements by which
cablegrams from France dealing with
American troop movements are trans
mitted to the War Department here for
distribution will be continued"
Arrangement Temporary.
ut is in the interest alike of the
army and the newspapers to afford a
certain reliance as to the propriety of
the publication of messages from
France. The arrangement is tempo
rary and will be replaced speedily by q
more direct method OF dealing with
this neys. In the meantime an ade-
quate force to deal promptly with the
dispatches will be on hand "a hours a
day and will deliver the dispatches re-
ceived in the order in which they come
so that no disadvantage will result
in anything beyond tho brief delay in
and back to the center Of distribution" :"
The work of reading over the press
dispatches Is being done by the COM
mittee on public information, much Of
it personally by George creel. chair
man.
Secretary Baker explained that the
plan worked out provided. however.
that the opinion Of Brig. Gen. Mcintyre,
censor for the War Department here,
was sought where there was any doubt
any item. Mr.. Baker made no effort
to find legal authority for the estab-
lishment Of the new censorship. he
said, and does not intend to ask for
legjsistton In that regard. s,7 :?z 3
"The Secretary Of War" he said, "by
unanimous consent, is empowered 10
take any steps necessary for the pro-
lection Of American soldiers"
Additional Reading Likely.
The censorship arrangement to be
set up by Mai. Gen. Pershing. 1t is un-
derstood. will cover British or French
publications regarding American troop
movements, as well as dispatches to
this country. Mr.. Baker added that it
might be found necessary to supplement
that censorship with an additional
reading at New York in order to make
certain that every press or personal
dispatch had been read to prevent in
formation Of value to the enemy from
leaking out.
Neither Secretary Baker nor Secre-
tary Daniels would express any opinion
today as to whether word of the de-
parture Of American troop transports
had been <franeQitted to Germany in
such time that aNU-boat trap had been
laid Both indicated that they had no
specific information on this point. 1t
was made clear, however. that addi-
tional precautions to prevent such a
happening were being considered. the
nature of which was not disclosed.
The War Department censorship has
been in operation since Tuesday. when,
by ofiicial order. all news cables from
retary of War for his inspection, in
stead of being delivered to those to
whom they were addressed.