The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-28
JOURNALIST ATTACKS SINS| OF BRITISH CENSOR; AND ASSERTS SAVER CENSORSHIP IS IMPERATIVE
Boomley Alleges That Press Gag Prevented Public Being Warned of the Irish Rebel on-Varous British Regiments Which Earned Glory In Battle Are Robbed of Being Given Public Credit.
ewritten by Horatio Bottomley)

(Written by Horatio Bottomley)
 (Great Britain's most fearless jour nalist, popularly known as ''The Un- official Member of the Parliament, severely attacks the British Censor, and points out many disadvantages which have accrued from the policy of gaggfng the newspapers.)
 Nothing has struck me as more re- markable in regard to this war than the childlike doci1ity with which journalists as a body have prostrated themselves before the various gov ernment departments and humbly taken their instructions from the army of officials who swarm around Whitehall. Of course, these newspa- permen have acted under deep sense of patriotism. but the fact re- mains that they have unconsciously fallen into what I believe to be a deep-laid trap, set by the political wire-pullers.
 Let me explain. In the early days of the war it was obvious that our parliamentary institutions were inn potent to grapp1e with the situation. They were all right during the hum- drum days of peace, with their par rot cries and shibboleths and their shamfights. But the war found them out The party leader, the glib de- batter, the learned book-worm and armchair politician automatically fell into their correct perspective-and the nation took matters in hand for itself
 In other words, the press came to the fescue
 In fact, it was the press vs. parlia- ment, and who can doubt which was the winner? It was the press which called Kitchener; the press which got the recruits; the press which made cotton contraband; the press which got the munitions; the press which got the money; the press which brought about coalition in England of political parties and established some form at least of national government And no one realizes these truths more than our ministers of the Crown. Ii became their habit to invite editors into conference with them, for the purpose of hearing and even discuss ing their plans and of securing their cooperation.
 Thus had the Fourth Estate come into its own, but. alasl it's glory was short-lved. Its members-unaccus toned to the scheming and chicanery of political life-were no match for the wire-puEers, who, having secured their personal ends by saving the faces of their chiefs, set to work to undermine the great instrument o1 public opinion in which they saw the ultimate doom of their game They had a ready weapon in their hands in the shame of that wonderful "De- fence of the Realm Act,'' under which by the even more wonderful 'sOrders in Council'' any fearless newspaper writer. could be suppressed--or, at any rates frightened into since. You must understand that the average journalist is man of sens1r;ve, ar tistics temperament to whom any, thing in the shape of an official fools cap document, 1iberally inscribed with mystic reference numbers and deliv- cred in a large envelope "On His Maj esty's service,' causes terrible ner- vous shock. And there was already in existence the Official Press Bueau, with a mysterious Censor-whose ori- gin and powers constitute the most fascinating puzzle of the time
 Isremember when Lord sBuckmaster was Censor. having a conversation with him, in the course of which I ventured to ask by what Order in Council his office was created and where I should find his powers de- fined. He smiled sweetly upon me and said, sIf we were in the House of Commons should reply that I