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

Look out for the press censorship bill
II has been drafted by the Army wal
college and will be introduced In con
xress-probably on the day that congress
declares war.
This bill. If passed. would set up COM
plete censorship machinery thruout the
country and forbid the publication IN
newspapers, magazines or pamphlets OF
any discussion of the war except by
SPECIAL PERMISSION OF The CEN
SOR.
Az the war department and the navy
department already have drastic regula-
tons establishing complete censorship on
purely military information. the motive
of this bill Is to ban free speech IN the
Dress, should war occur.
The army war college is frank enough
about it
To borrow It's own language, the pur-
pose is to gag those newspapers which
by their editorials and presentation OF
news. may sway the people against the
var and thus, by adverse criticism, tend
10 destroy the efficiency of these tthe
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,
Il already provided for by the military
regulations in force.
Second: BY criticism of the conduct
Of the campaign, the action Of certain Of
ficsrs or exploiting others. the people viii
Be led to lose confidence in the army with
the result that the moral support Of the
people is lost.
This argument is easily recognized
II is the old argument of autocracy
against democracy.
The metropolitan press has been won
over to the support of the bill by repre-
sensations that practical newspaper men
with army experience" would be appoint
ed as censors.
Moreover, they know their power and
are not much afraid of what the censors
will do to their columns.
But to the Independent press, this is
real threat, and all lovers of freedom and
democracy should be aroused TO tight this
pernicious attempt of the military power
Of this country to become like unto that
Of Prussia.
We are being dragged down by the
undertow and will find ourselves commit
ted TO militarism pure and simple, and as
IKE the Prussian variety as two peas in
pod. If 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 a letter endorsing the Wyoming
system of military instruction and in II
naively mentions with pride the two bills
he 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
10 militarism," says Mr.. Whitman, and We
confess that we do not follow his premise
TO my logical conclusion.
SAYING a thing does not make it 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 X. 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 tc
Howard Wheeler, the managing editor. il
particular, for the magazines part in this
patriotic campaign.
We have, too, letter from Newton d
Baker. secretary of war, who talk,
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 hooked IN annea