New-York tribune., 1917-05-05
The Press Gag Fails

and IN every other form IN Whlcn II was
offered by spokesmen of the Administra-
tion-represented merely crafty effort to
abridge the freedom Of the press
In the two weeks following its declara-
ton of the existence Of state Of war with
Germany Congress was in semi-dazed
condition. The vastness Of the war problem
oppressed members who were vaguely con-
scious Of having failed to foresee war and
prepare for il and who were now anxious
to give the most Jealous support TO the
Administrations war measures. The At
torney General, acting in behalf Of the
heads Of some Of the other executive de-
partments, sought to take advantage OF
this spirit of docility at the Capitol. lie
induced the Judiciary committees of the
two houses TO approve q press censorship
provision which. under the guise of pre-
venting the divulging of information use
full to the enemy, practically prohibited
criticism Of the acts or policies OF officers
Of our own government.
The Administrations bill was artfully
drawn and its passage was urged as
necessary piece Of war legislation. But Its
real character could not be concealed after
Congress once became inquisitive about 1t.
The country is not to be stampeded even
in this anxious crisis, into accepting
press censorship hitherto undreamed of
the crudest denial of freedom Of discussion
ever attempted, perhaps, under any demo-
cratic form of government The vote IN
the House yesterday, eliminating the OBJ
noxious section and substituting one far
more guarded and reasonable, shows that
Congress is still aware that free press
is absolutely essential to the maintenance
of liberty and to the successful conduct OF
war under the conditions which must pre-
vail in an unprepared non-militaristic
democracy.
The disingenuousness Of the Administra-
tion's press muzzling section lay IN its
pretence that information useful to the
enemy is likely to be given to him on an
extensive scale through the newspapers.
II included the newspapers among the
agencies likely to be Of espionage service to
Germany. But a newspaper is about the
last medium which any one seeking to
transmit information TO the enemy would
want to use for such a purpose All the
facilities of communication with Germany
are under the control Of the government.
! 1t can censor the mails and all messages
" over the telegraph lines or by wireless.
Germany is 5000 miles away, and cut off
from communication with the United
States. Although not interfering in the
least with what the newspapers print, the
government can easily see TO 1t that the
information which they may contain of
military value to Germany does not pass
our borders.
The newspapers are themselves abso-
lutely willing to exclude news which would
be of military value should it ever reach
Germany. They are gladly enforcing
voluntary censorship of this sort. They do
not properly belong in the category of
agencies subject to the suspicion Of COM
mitting espionage offences. They would
not object to the issuance Of rules by the
President defining the kinds Of news, re-
specting military movements and our mill
tarv forces, which ought to be suppressed.
The trick Of the newspaper gag pro
vision was in its transfer of power TO
agents of the executive branch of the gov
ernment to determine for themselves, with
out check Of any sort. what constitutes
such a publication as might be useful to
the enemy" These agents are only hu-
man. and il would be but human nature
on their part TO consider publications
which annoyed them as publications neces-
sarily giving comfort, solace and useful IN
formation TO Germany. An administrator
vested with arbitrary power is likely to
think criticism of his blunders and failures
a sort Of treason 10 the government which
he represents. Even though he might not
send a newspaper critic TO Jail for such
criticism, he could in many cases use
threat to do so as a club with which TO
compel silence.
The heads Of the various departments
and bureaus in Washington are fearful of
criticism. They know that the government
machinery is not geared up TO conducting
war on big scale. They know that there
will be many scandals and failures in ad-
ministration. They realize that their per
sonal regulations must suffer because OF
the nations lamentable lack of military
preparation. They crave protection Of the
sort that the press gag section Of the
espionage bill would have given. They
would have sheltered themselves behind
that section, If it had become law, with
eager self-satisfaction. applying intimida-
ton in order TO avoid exposure, and APP
plying il all the more ruthlessly because
they know that an unmlitary democracy is