Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-13
MINING MEN HALT /.
PRESS DISPATCHES
Unauthorized Censorship I'm
posed by Officials on News of
|. w. w. Deportations.
HELD UP FOR TEN HOURS
BY the Associated Press.

HELD UP FOR TEN HOURS
BY the Associated Press.
DOUGLAS, Ariz. July 13.-Censor-
ship was imposed on Associated Press
dispatches filed here and in Bisbee yes
terday during the deportation OF near
ly 1900 members OF the Industrial
Workers of the World from Bisbee. 1t
was directed by two officers OF the
Phelps-Dodge Corporation - Robert
Rea, general auditor of the corpora
ton. and H. II. Stout. superintendent
of the Copper Queen smelter here.
These men. and not an army oficer, as
reported to the outside world by the
Western Union ONCE here at the time.
were the ones who issued the censor
ship orders to the telegraph company.
The report that the military had estab-
lished the censorship was due. according
to Manager Tillotson Of the local West
ern Union Office. TO the fact that Mr..
Stout is generally known as captain" and
that his dress Is similar to that OF an
army man. Mr. Tillotson told the Asso-
ciated Press after the censorship had
been removed and an investigation. made
that he thought Mr.. Stout was captain
in the regular army and that he was
bound to obey his orders regarding the
transmission Of dispatches relating to the
disturbance at Bisbee.
The report that the military had i'm
posed censorship persisted throughout tho
district until late last night. when IN
Quiries at army headquarters brought the
Information that no military censorship
had been in effect
Thought He Had Authority.
Early today Mr.. Stout admitted that he
had directed the censorship. but said he
had acted on instructions from the
sherifrs office at Bisbee''
Pressed as to who In the sherirs once
had authority to censor kilograms. Mr..
Stout was unable to designate from what
person he had received his instructions,
but persisted that they came from Bisbee.
Sheriff Harry c. Wheeler went to Column
bus with the cattle train on which the
men were deported and had not returned
to Douglas early today.
The first dispatch concerning the de-
portations was filed by a correspond
ent of the Associated Press in the
Western Union at o'clock yesterday
Ell Paso, to be relayed to the Assoc
ciated Press offices at Denver. but be-
fore the relay was made Mr.. Rea- rep
resenting the Phelps-Dodge Corpora
ton. which controls the mines affected
by the strike at Bisbee. instructed the
operator on duty that the message was
withdrawn. Upon this authority. ac-
cording to information given the Assoc
Union off1ce, the message was recalled
by the operator.
Soon after this first application Of the
Phelps Dodge censorship. Mr.. Stout in
graph company concerning the nature Of
the censorship that was to be imposed.
and Mr.. Tillotson obeyed. holding up all
messages relating to the Bisbee deporfA-
1 ,Ypfi1 n Afternoon
Desired to Withhold Information.
Mr.. Stout and Mr.. Rea both discussed
the censorship while twas IN effect. say
ing they desired no information to reach
the outside world until the deportations
had been completed satisfactorily to them.
The copper company officials also CEN
sored the leased wire Of a brokerage COM
pany and undertook to censor telephone
calls. In their telephone censorship they
were only partly successful. for late in
Tucson and a brief bulletin transmitted.
| Although Mr.. Stout said his orders for
the censorship came from the sheriff
office at Bisbee, correspondents In the lat
ter place were under the impression that
Mr.. Stout was directing the Censorship OF
both towns from Douglas.
One correspondent, whose dispatches
we're held up in Bisbee. reached Mr..
| =
release of his messages. but was in
formed that the censorship would be
raised when the train carrying the de-
ported men had passed through Doug
| learn by what authority the Phelps
Dodge officials imposed the censorship
! was without avail until today. when
| Mr.. stout referred inquiries to the
sheriff
Western Union to Make Probe.
SAN FRANCISCO. July 1s.-Allesed
| tampering with service of the Western
| Union Telegraph Company by Robert
Rea, general auditor OF the Copper
Queen mines and smelter at Douglas,
Ariz., and H. H Stout. known rs Cap
tain" Stout, superintendent Of tho
| smelter, will be probed to the limit.
Western Union officials here announced
today.
News of the deportation of L W. W.
members at Bisbee went forward
through the Associated Press to the
newspapers OF the country. and the
facts were being printed from coast to
by blocking thousands OF additional
words Of Geographic news. felt that
they had concealed the situation.
Morris T Cook. general Hn;an supeTintsnd,
Company in the territory affected. said
today:
Nobody but the army can censor
our service. / will begin an investiga-
ton Immediately. I wish to establish
the facts at the earliest possible mo-
ment. in order that we may proceed
Officials Begin Investigation.
NEW YORK. July 1s.-Oficials OF
both the Western Union Telegraph
Company and the Phelps-Dodge Conn
pany began investigation today Of the
arbitrary action OF Rae and Stout in
imposing a censorship for the greater
part of yesterday on dispatches from
Bisbee relating to the deportation of
Industrial Workers of the World.
Attention Of the War Department
also has been called to the incident
TO INVESTIGATE SOCIAL
CONDITIONS NEAR CAMPS
Secretary Daniels Orders Strict Scru-
tiny of Communities Where Ma