New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-18
Blu Arthur S. Draper

90, yyar.eficiency Of the nation; Dut tne'e -
o,Iv ono side so far as democracies are con
earned That is the opposite to wnat the
German government is taking 49,,
In the midst Of war passions name h'eh'
h;,,erness becomes almost fanatical ana sense
NJ nroportion is sometimes lost. Frequently
tho normally mild-mannered, temperate eo'Vo,
turns frantic; he throws MS darts OF ha'ieo
a, the enemy; he grows suspicious Oh MS
colleagues who preserve their calm ana count
the cost Of the war not only TO the enemy
hut to their own country The editor %
"The Manchester Guardian" once told me ne
never allowed the word Hun" to appear 10
his paper. "The Guardian" has been aouseu'
attacked as pro-German, but to-day us tenn
perate tone is appreciated everywhere anu
when il arraigns the Germans Tor tneir
atrocities it's indictment becomes douoiy
powerful.
Kipling and the Censor
Rudyard Kpling has been severely cru
cised recently for publishing story OF
German aviator who fell in England ana was
found fatally injured by an English woman
who refused to help him because sne hau
suffered from Zeppelin attack. The strong
est of his critics was periodical whicn mas
hurled invective at the enemy all through the
KinIing's story an indictment Of British
womanhood. !.
Britain has had three years experience OF
censorship; from time to time she mas
prumbled and complained; she knows little
to-day of the immense censorship organ
ization that has slowly been created, but II
that organization was suddenly thrown aside
disastrous results would almost certainly FOL
low. Strange as it may seem, there is in Great
Britain to-day no press censorship properly
so called. The British Journalist is bound
bv the same law which governs every otner
Rriton. He Is not compelled to submit his
articles TO the censor; he has that privilege
if he desires to take advantage OF 1t. Many
British journalists submit nothing to the
censor, preferring to publish articles on their
own responsibility and TO take the conse-
ouences if these articles violate the law.
This is an extremely important point Tor
: consideration by America. They should de-
eide at once whether the British system Is
preferable or whether it is advisable to cen
sor everything before its publication. Inc
weakness of the British system is that the
damage is done before the public prosecutor
can take action; he locks the stable after
the horse has run away. IL IS OF little 'Aiue
TO prosecute an editor after he has committed
the crime of giving information unwittingiy
70 the enemy. On the other hand, the CEN
sorship Of all articles is a task OF immense
proportions. Again, the judgment OF most
editors is unusually good, and this war has
proven that their patriotism almost invari-
ABLY checks their natural instinct to score
beat" over their journalistic rivals.
Press Bureau Only Advises
Britain has what it calls Press Bureau.
Editors can 90 there and get advice as to
what matters, if published, might bring them
into the law courts not newspaper men, but
as private citizens. ii an article is submit
ted to the Press Bureau and the censor de-
letes certain paragraphs there is nothing to
prevent the editor from publishing these very
paragraphs, but, should the public prosecutor
bring action. which he is almost certain to
do. and should he obtain a conviction, the
sentence would naturally be doubly severe.
"The Nation" for instance, seldom. if ever
submitted its articles to the Press Bureau
Many other periodicals which have continued
TO publish their articles uncensored right
through the war could be mentioned. Time
after time they have been able to score
beats" over their rivals who submitted the
same articles to the censor. and had his ad-
verse opinion. Complaint after complaint has
been made to the censor, but all he can do is
TO advise the public prosecutor to act. The
latter knows the difficulty of obtaining a con-
viction, and so the conscientious can only
smile and profit.
The British censor makes a sharp distinc
ton between home and foreign consumption
of news. In the country Of origin great atl-
tude is allowed. For example, "The Nation"
is permitted to circulate freely in Great Brit
ain, but its export is forbidden. | must nee
essarly submit everything write to the CEN
sor; | can do nothing on my own response
bility. AS a newspaper man am treated like
any one else who desires to convey informa-
ton to America. If John Jones, in London,
wants to tell his mother in Boston that she
is now a grandmother, he must submit his
cable message or letter containing the good