The Washington herald., 1917-05-26
The Herald and Censorship
Editorial Comment on Mr.. Creels Criticism of a
Washington Herald Editorial

/ censorship law in the initial performance
Of Mr. George CreeI, censor, by title n not
| by law. N-e - NO'
In all the arguments advanced bv the
champions Of press CENSORSHIP who are
| spokesmen OF the administration there
mas oeen a unanimous insistence that the
purpose was not to suppress the expres-
sion OF opinion editorialIy, but OF news
that might give aid and comfort 20 the
enemy.
NOW, In the face Of all this protestation.
the nrst efort Of Mr.. CreeI is directed not
at an editor whose news offended, but at
an editor whose views gave pain. The
eoltor OF The Washington Herald" the
| first victim of our new censor bsd moi
betrayed the country: the news that he
discussed had already been printed broad
cast over the nation with ofIcfal perrnIs-
sion. There was no addition made to
the disclosure Of fact, but the opinion of
the editor of The Washington Herald
was displeasing to Mr. CreeI-that was
all. Was it enough?
No one can guess what Mr.. George
| Creel would have done to the editor OF
| The Washington Herald" had he been
able to add legal discipline to moral casti-
cation. Since he had no such powers. the
incident ended there. with the comment
OF the editor Of THE Washington Herald
upon the eloquence OF Mr.. George Creel
alone lost
| For the sake Of the American tradition
Of free speech The Tribune trusts that
Congress will not consent to the creation
Of a situation in which the editorial pol.
| Icy of American newspapers will be sub
| Iect to the telephone industry Of Mr.,
George CreeI
~Rebuke" at Right Time.
New York Telegraml
| While no more inept act than the repri.
manding of the editor Of The Washington
Herald could have been committed, we
believe We voice universal newspaper
| opinion in saying We are glad it occurred
and as early as 1t did.
The alleged offense Of the Washing gton
paper was in publishing an editorial
touching the defective shell explosion or
/ the Mongolia which killed two nurses
| 1t was comment on publication Of mat.
| ter founded on statements made in the
official report OF Rear Admiral Ralph
| Earle, chief OF ordnance of the navy, to
Secretary Daniels.
There could have been no better time for
! such a "rebuke." II comes when the
espionage bill-whiCh as It stands hits
the country's friends far worse than Il
does its enemies-is under consideration
|
spokesmen are loudly protesting that they
did not dream OF trying to control edi.
torial opinion or criticism.
It comes just at the moment when the
| Department OF State is expressing its ap'
probation of the newspapers for silence
in regard TO the departure OF the French
mission.
1t comes in time to show that the news
papers OF the country know infinitely bet
ter what TO print and what to suppress
| than some officials do.
We do not believe 1t is the desire ot
| President Wilson to use censorship u
suppress legitimate news, even II thai
news reveals departmental scandals.
| Censorship that would reduce the press
OF the country to the deadly level OF tbs
! "Ofhcial Bulletin-Published Daily Under
Order Of the President by the COMMITTEES
on Public Information, George Creel
Chairman" Is not to be thought Of.
! The people Of the United States, from
whom all power springs, want the news