The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-02-17
More Evidences That
the United States is Fast
Becoming Prussianized

xress-probably on the day that congress
declares war.
This bill. il passed, would set up COM
plete censorship machinery turnout the
country and forbid the publication IN
newspapers, magazines or pamphlets nt
anv discussion of the war except by
SPECIAL PERMISSION OF THE CEN
SOR.
As the war department and the navy
department already have drastic reguia-
tons establishing complete censorship on
purely military information. the motive
Of this bill is TO ban free speech IN the
press, should war occur.
The army war college is frank enough
about IT,
To borrow its own language, the pur-
pose is to gag those newspapers which,
by their editorials and presentation oil
news, may sway the people against the
war and thus, by adverse criticism. tend
to destroy the efficiency Of these (the
military agencies
Discussing in its monograph the two
ways in which the press may affect the
success of the army in time OF war, the
army war college says:
First: II may by publishing names
Of organizations, numbers, movement, &C
counts of victories or defeats, furnish IN
formation to the enemy" This, however.
o already provided for by the military
rsgulations in force.
Second: BY criticism Of the conduct
q the campaign. the action Of certain Of
6esrs or exploiting others, the people Will
n Id 70 lose confidence in the army with
The result that the moral support OF the
people ID lost"
This argument Is easily recognized
It is the old argument Of autocracy
against democracy.
The metropolitan press has been won
over to the support Of the bill by repre-
ssntations that practical newspaper men
With army experience" would be appoint
Cd - censors.
Moreover, they know their power and
are not much afraid Of what the censors
vfIl do to their columns.
But to the independent press, this is
rsal threat, and al lovers of freedom and
democracy should be aroused 10 fight this
uernicious attempt of the military power
u this country TO become like unto that
q Prussia.
We are being dragged down by the
mdertow and viii find ourselves commit
"a 20 militarism pure and simple, and as
M the Prussian variety as two peas in
pod, II we don't get busy and call halt
New York state. thru the Offices Of
Gov. Whitman, manipulated by the mill
tary party, which we have. also, has
issued letter endorsing the Wyoming
ystem of military instruction and in it
uaively mentions with pride the two bills
be urged and signed providing for COM
pulsory military training in the public
schools Of the state of New York.
Instead of militarism, il means death
to militarism," says Mr.. Whitman, and We
confess that we do not follow his premise
10 any logical conclusion.
SAYING thing does not make il so {;
but saying thing OFTEN enough makes
most people THINK that it is so. This is
the basic principle of all advertising.
And now we have Franklin K Lane.
secretary of the interior, enthusiastically
praising the effort to organize the High
School Volunteers of the United States"
and giving his blessing TO everybody in
Everybody's magazine in general and to
Howard Wheeler, the managing editor, in
particular. for the magazines part in this
patriotic campaign.
We have, too. letter from Newton D.
Baker, secretary Of war. who talks
blithely of military training without mil
itaristic idea" and Of army officers who
realize the superiority of the ideals of
peace and justice to those Of force and
aggression"
The Wyoming system, which brings
forth all this commendatory writing,
and which will be explained to US by
Edward Amherst OFT, booked TO appear
here at some future date in order 70
arouse our active interest" came about
In this way: