New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-04-27
IN THE MATTER OF CENSORSHIP

arnv hat VIII be required of selling the bonds
and Of creating Tie necessary enthusiasm to
pr9iuec victory 10 American arms, should he
very careful in the manner in which they go
abGui their work. America has approximate
ly one hundred million people, seventy million
OF whom are able to think for themselves and
each ~ whom has a different idea as f. what
caused H.. war, who started it, how we could
have keu ont OF it and what We should do
to end 1t. irrespective OF these seventy mil
lion IDEAS we believe dat all Americans are
a unit on the proposition that there is nothing
to do now but to present such a formidable ar
ray OF finance, men and patriotism as will
win. However, not one of these seventy mil
lion wants 10 be OF viii stand for being curbed
in his right to free speech and in his right
TO criticize, not only those whom he believes to
be responsible tor our present situation, but
the future acts Of our administration
Nothing will hinder the success of Arneri-
can arms more than to attempt a censorship
on criticism. 1t is all right to censor news
OF the movement of troops, the movements of
vessels, the supply Of foodstuffs and matters
of this kind, but when il comes to censoring
criticism OF official acts, war or no war, the
American people will not stand for it. Any
dtlIIliIt 10 CtHSoI ClllClSIll VIII ICSlI III ulS-
satisfaction, fewer recruits and less moral sup
port to the war, the United States over.
Many of our people feel that we are Wag-
ing an unnecessary war; that had our govern
ment been named by men of great s~tatecraft
we could have conducted an administration a.
mong the nations that would not have brought
us into the conflict. Many Of our people feel
that we are in this conflict because we were
the ally OF the Allies all through the war and
thai we were not the neutral nation we should
have been. Many Of our people feel that be
cause OF this il IS now necessary for us to
enter the war at this time in order to prevent
Germany from Waging an indemnity war
against us when this war is over. Many Of
our people also feel that because of the de-
pleted man power Of France, the financial sit
uation in England and the tendency of Russia
to sign a separate peace with Germany, we
entered the war to prevent the Allies from be-
ing defeated. One thing is sure, up to date
1t IS not a popular war. Even those who
mentally favored the Allies are open in the
statements that they do not believe in the
war and those who mentally favored Ger
many are open in the statement that we should
have kept out,
Whatever these beliefs may be or what
ever the feelings may be, we are in the war and
it must be won. But it cannot be won by enact
ing laws that are intended to curb criticism or
to prevent a full and free discussion of the Of
ficials acts of our government. 1t is a whole
lot better to discuss them now among our
selves than it is to let some future historian
discuss them in the then light of history, which
will be done. If they are properly discussed
now the future historian can get a viewpoint
which no one gets at the present time.
Aside from that the greatest bulwark of
the American government is its free speech
and its freedom of the press. No one is going
to deliberately try to arouse American people
against their own government either in speech
or in editorials. The government should be-
ware that ii does not, through censorship laws,
arouse the enmity of its own people against
itself. An open discussion of any subject
finally develops the facts relative to that sub
jet. The fact that the administration is
trying to curb criticism indicates that it is
fearful Of the results Of the facts in connection
with Our entrance into this war. Senator
Thomas, Senator Borah and Senator Johnson
are justified in the fight they are making
against the administration measure.
II INC ADMINISTRATION VIII stop Trying 10
suppress public criticism through speech and
through the press and will come out frankly
and state just what it wants in the way of men
and money, we believe it will get them,
During the Spanish-American War the
criticism against President Mckinley and the
administration was something terrific; by rea-
son of that criticism Senator Teller of Colo
RADIO succeeded in placing in the Declaration
of War three words: mot for conquest" and
those three words were in time pronounced
the foundation upon which America waged
that war and came out unslllied as between
the nations. Neither President Mckinley
nor any leader of the administration attempted
to stop in any way the criticism either of the
press or OF public speakers. In the midst of
the criticism Americas young manhood flock
ed to the colors by the thousands.
The same will be true in this war. An
American, wherever he is, wants to express
his opinion. Washington ought to realize
this and use it TO advantage.
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