Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-31
NEWSPAPERS GIVEN
ADDITIONAL RULES
Papers Asked to Keep In
formation From Enemy
by Self-Censorship.

WASHINGTON Dec. Revised
regulations or requests to guide the
American press I'm the voluntary cen
sorship observed since the country
went To war were issued tonight by
the committee on public Information
to become effective January T. Sew
,ral important changes have been
made representing the lessons learned
by the committee and the army Off
GERS since the first regulations were
Issued last June.
Three OF the original requests to
which special importance was at
taChed and under which loyal news
papers have gone to press without
many an interesting piece of news
have been withdrawn entirely. They
are the requests that nothing be pub
lished tending to disclose the names
Of line officers or individual units
OF the eNpediiiOnary forces. tending
TO disclose the identity of American
merchant ships and their crews de-
Tending Themselves against subma-
rines or giving Information relating
to drydocks and repair and constrUc-
tion work.
Unoffcially II Is explained that
these prohibitions are withdrawn
largely because of the difficulty IN
having them universally observed and
III lilt Utlltl AllNl hutn
would be obtained by the enemy re
tgardless OF whether II appeared In
the American newspapers Other
changes are made and there are some
additions but most of them are OF
mlnor character.
with the regulations the committee
issued this statement:
The committee on public lnforma-
tion makes public herewith re-
vision with the requests OF July 80
with respect To the concealment of
military information. for the guidance
OF correspondents and editors who
have patriotically placed themselves
under censorship of their own en-
forccmcnt Future revisions will fol-
low In conformity with the changing
military situation. None of these re-
quests will be retained when IL is es.
tablshed that the secreCies now con-
sidcred essential for the successful
conduct Of military operations no
longer have Il definite military pur-
pose
THE committee Is requested by the
war-makinR branches OF the govern
mcnt to urge upon the press the Sc
robustness for observing these requests.
II is highly important that military
information be kept out Of print. II Is
- ilhllfl VI lAAlf consequence IlOW
widely military information OF the
most important character Is known
within the borders OF the United
States. Tho purpose Of these requests
is to prevent such information from
reaching the enemy. The printed page
forms a safe and easy method OF COM
mmication for the enemy agent.
Whenever he can be forced to at
tempt the use Of the telegraph the
cable or any medium for the trans
mission the risks OF detection are i'm
mcasurably multiplied. But he can
mail n newspaper or magazine
without leaving a trace.
The committee is without legal
authority or moral right to bring any
form of pressure on publications to
enforce observance OF these requests.
These paragraphs embody with the
military and naval experts ( our
country hold TO be the minimum that
can be asked at this time. for tho pro-
lection Of our soldiers and sailors and
the success OF our military plans. For
their observance the government re-
lies implicitly upon the loyalty and
judgment OF the individual writer and
publishes"