Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-07-26
BEHIND THE SCREEN.
(From Golfers Weekly

II Lord Northcliffe isn't careful, he
will be shipped back to England as an
undesirable alien. Think of a British
peer coming to the source of democ-
racy undefiled and saying:
II hope that America may permit her
newspaper and magazine writer's to be
absolutely frank about what is going
on. 1t is as important for the nation
to know the worst as 1t is for the ma
ton to know the best. For one thing
and we have found it out from ac-
tual experiment. is a great stimulus
for the men fighting in the field to
know that they are being written
about at home and that the country
they are fighting for knows precisely
what they are doing"
In England they have discovered
things about the censorship. They
know that 1t was partly to blame for
the lack of explosive shells for the
army in France, it covered up the
stupid and disastrous Gallipoli expe-
dition. and 1t postponed public ven-
geance upon the criminal conduct of
the first campaign in Mesopotamia.
Now they have pretty we'll discarded
1t. But over here it isn't good for us
to know too much about the deeds of
our rulers. Put up and shut up. are
structed to print only news officially
communicated by the committee on
public information direct from Washing
ton. They obey wig a meekness equally
commendable and unexpected. If you
read one of them, you read them all.
1t is easier tGA/run a newspaper nova
days than it US " to be. The contents are
supplied in carbon copies from Washing
ton. The administration will write the
headlines If asked to- Putting Out the
Enemies Eyes-Prodigious and Impair
alleled Efforts of Administration to Think
of Deciding to Prepare to Invite Aviation
Experts to Consult on Plans to Build
Aviation Fleet of 100000 Airplanes to Be
Finished Before August /. 1917 or Not
Later Than January /. 1877" ITO De-
stroy the Enthusiastically Daniels Or
ders Fleet of Birch-bark Canoes Armed
| with 30-inch Howitzers. and Calls Upon
All Owners Of Catamarans to Surrender
Them to the Government" CLASH Be
| tween Hoover and Denman-Food Con-
troller Complains That Shipping Boards
| Order for Flour Paste for Single Mer-
| chant Fleet Will Interfere with Wheat
Supply for Allies" Seven Million Men
for France!-Several Thousand Now
There or on Their Way-Intense Actv-
ity ut War Observation-Disclosures Guns
Will Be Ordered-Talk of Making Bay
onets-Bids for Cantonments about to Re
| Opened-Powder about to Be Tested
Contracts for Ammunition about to Be
Signed-Secretary Baker Attending Con
vention of Florists at Kankakee." "Tu
Crush the Huns-Secretary Of Navy Is
sues Drastic Order Directed Against
Germany-Forbids Games of Pinochle or
American Warships."
The official inventors of publicity fol
pale people could go a step further and
save the publishers the cost Of compost.
ton by supplying them with "boilel
plate" George Creel would not scrupls
to write the editorials. He is pretty busy
but he Is also energetic. full of spiritua
luplift, and ambidextrous. He could re.
lieve the editorial writer's on the New
York World and other court circulars
who must be tired of the language OF
compliment about the nonresident ant
the void.
The public Is curious to know what 1,
going on behind the screen. and worried
but without cause. 1t would be disap
pointed If It peeked. 1t hears the clatte
of typewriters, and OF solemn tongues thu
hum. But the heroes Of the cabinet ar,
are announcing to the public that afte
conferences lasting far into the night To-
nearly a month they have succeeded II
} compelling predatory manufacturers L
reduce the price Of door knobs in the war
State, and navy building one-tenth Of on
per cent Others are debating dali.
: chapter of their autobiogra phies-the sad
Lincolnian stories of their greatness ant
their trials. Later on, History. with al
eraser In one hand and fountain pei
loaded with invisible ink in the Other
: will edit compositions which thus far ar
as blazing on the title page as the adven
lures of Sir John Vaudeville and as mo
tionless in the contents as novel b.
: Jane Austen. Having had glimpse q
the forbidden scene. we can assure tn
country that since the war began nothin
] has happened except what they hav
! seen in the papers-and very little Of that