New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-20
German CenSOrS Muzzled
Foreign Correspondents
Newspaper Men Permitted 10 See Big Battles and Gather
Important Economic News, but it Seldom Got
Past the Suppression Bureau

men found it almost impossible TO
write of the interesting things they
saw. Furthermore. the tendency OF
the bureau was 70 send them 70 points
on the front where they saw little OF
importance.
The government eventually discov-
cred that the bureau was not success
under Major Deutelmoser's subordI-
nate. The men from II" roreign OF
flee were displaced, altAOrgh the old
censors were retained. The Neutral
Press Bureau was shelved, except Tor
the old censors.
There was created so-called mill
tarv department of the Foreign Once,
under Colonel Won Haerten, keen and
wide awake man. and Baron PIetten-
berg. both of whom have an under
standing of foreign viewpoints. They
were ruled By the conviction that neu-
trail corresp ondents themselves were
the best Judges of what they desired.
Colonel Won H8erten provided faci!i-
ties for obtaining the economic as well
as the military news insistently asked
for, and acted on suggestions made TO
him. He was able to send correspond
ents to active points on the front.
Nevertheless, he or those above him
retained the same censors, who ire
quently held back the very information
which had been furnished by the mill
tary department itself, and refused 10
pass apparently innocent news items
published in the German press, whicn
were picked up and telegraphed from
Holland. Denmark or Switzerland. In
some cases one correspondents DIS
patch on a given subject would be
passed while an identical article from
another would be held up.
See Somme from Aero
The military department succeeded
in having an order issued on all fronts
that correspondents were to be shown
everything there was to be seen.
On the first trip arranged by the de-
partment two American newspaper men
flew over the entire Somme sector IN
AN airplane, in accordance with the
order to show correspondents every
thing possible. Their reports OF the
battle seen from the air were sup
pressed. The airplane stan was
brought up on the carpet and all oui
cashiered. The incident was closed
when one correspondents story was
released. while the others was held
Great Headquarters.
These and countless similar cases
indicate that genuinely earnest efforts
have been made by the German au-
thorities 10 put newspaper men IN pos
session of real news, but their efforts
as often as not have been partly. or
entirely nullifed by the censorship,
against which every neutral CORE
spondent in Berlin has complained re-
peatedly.
German Press Muzzled
As relating to the German press, the
censorship is very severe. 1t IS the
more effective because there are no
blank spaces in the newspapers TO IN
dictate 10 the reader what has Deen
eliminated. Protest has followed pro-
test against the muZzling Of news
papers in regard 10 political as wen
as military news, but the only let-up
has been along economic lines.
Newspapers are now able 70 discuss
with some freedom food and similar
conditions, and even 10 critlcise the
economic administration. Criticism or
the government. and specifically OF the
marty of Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg. is still forbidden, and several
newspapers still remain under the So
called preventive censorship, beng
Obliged TO submit political articles TO
the censor before they are published.