Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-31
Chief of Bureau of Public InfOr-
nation Makes 1t Clear That
Merely Requests to Press Are
Made,
INFORMATION MUST
BE KEPT FROM ENEMY
Some Former Restrictions Are.
Lifted on Ground That They
Were Entirely Useless Impo-
SitionS.

Washington. Dec. 30.-Revised reg
uiations of requests to guide the
American press in the voluntary CEN
sorship observed since the country
went to war, were issued tonight by
the committee on public information,
to become effective January l. Sever
al important changes have been made
representing the lessons learned by
the committee and the army and navy
officers since the first regulations
were issued last June
Three of the original requests 10
which special importance was at
tached and under which loyal news
papers have gone TO press without
many an interesting piece of news
have been withdrawn entirely. They
are the requests that nothing be pup
lished tending to disclose the names
OF line officers or individual units
az tho gneF Aitionf pr + fEeeS. +entlln8
to disclose the identity of American
merchant ships and their crews de-
Tending themselves against submarines
or giving information relating to dry
docks and repair construction work.
Takes Sensible View.
Unofficially it is explained that
these prohibitions are Withdrawn
largely because of the difficulty in
having them universally observed and
in the belief that such information
would be obtained by the enemy re-
gardless of whether it appeared IN
the American newspapers.
With the regulations the committee
issued this statement:
THE committee on public informa-
ton makes public herewith a revision
of the requests of July 80 with re-
spect to the concealment of military
information, for the guidance of cor
respondents and editors who have
patriotically placed themselves under
censorship of their own enforcement
Future revisions will follow in con-
formity with the changing military
situation. None of these requests will
be retained when it is established that
| the secrecies now considered essential
for the successful conduct of military
operations no longer serve a definite
military purpose.
Must Not Aid Enemy.
"The committee is requested by the
war making branches of the govern
ment to urge again upon the press
the serious necessity for observing
these requests. 1t is highly important
| Co tian ant
of print. 1t is a matter of little con-
sequence how widely military infor-
nIation of the most important char
acter is known within the borders of
the United States. The purpose Of
these requests is to prevent such in
formation from reaching the enemy.
The printed papers form a safe and
easy method for communication be-
tween enemy agents. Whenever he
can be forced to attempt the use of
telegraph, cable or any other medium
for the transmission of news, the risks
of detection are immeasurably multi
pied. But he can mail newspaper
or magazine without leaving trace.
No Legal Authority.
1.-The committee is without legal au-
thority or moral right to bring any
form of pressure on publications to
enforce observance of these requests.
These paragraps embody what the
military and naval experts of our
country hold to be the minimum that
can be asked, at this time, for the pro-
lection of our soldiers and sailors and
the success of our military plans. For
their observance the government re-
lies implicitly on the loyalty and judg-
ment Of the individual writer and
publisher
In order that the American peo-
pie may clearly understand why GER
tain news does not appear in print, 1t
is urged that these requests be print
ed in full
The attention of the press is called
to the provision that these requests
do not apply to news dispatches CEN
sored by military authority with the
expeditionary forces or in those cases
where the government itself, in the
form of official statements, may find
i, it necessary or expedient to make
public information covered by these
requests"
For the protection OF our military
and naval forces and Of merchant