New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-24
Wilson Sounds House
On His Censorship Plan

acting. So far as know. no one has
violated the spirit and intent of this
censorship. except the President him
self. OF this later
President Wilson wants TO make the
censorship mandatory. TO fasten it upon
the press of the countr" with all the
circumstances Of legislative enactment.
He is forcing the issue harder than he
ever forced any issue since the Nc
Lemore resolution. lie has written 70
the House. He has given his orders
20 the Senate conferrees He must
have censorship-any kind Of a cen
sorship-"moditied' censorship. some
thing or other. for reasons that he
leaves rather obscure. He is not likely
TO get what he demands, because for
the first time since the war issue arose
he has not the Republicans in Congress
with him.
There are two reasons why he will
not get the censorship he wants. One
is Baker and the other is Daniels. Lack
Of confidence is what stands between
the President and his usual Republican
supporters. If the Senate and House
were composed Of big and strong
enough men they might remake the
government. But they are not. They
are, however, apparently big enough
and strong enough TO refuse TO put into
Mr.. Bakers hands and Mr.. Daniels's
hands the power TO say what shall and
what shall not be published about the
dOings of their own departments.
No One Objects to Principle
Let us see how the censorship works.
No one here objects 10 II in principle.
No one wants 10 be responsible for
causing information Of value TO the en-
envy 10 fall into the enemy's hands. but
every working newspaper man curses
its present stupidities and inequalities
and the way IL is used by departments
TO cover up their own shortcomings.
The case of the ST. Louiss defective
shells was a glazing instance Of the
last mentioned abuse-indeed of all
three abuses. Newspapers were re-
quested not 10 publish the facts about
these misbehaving shells. There was
no good reason why the facts should
not have been published at once. They
were of no conceivable value TO the
enemy, who would not take chances on
all our shells because some of them
had failed 10 explode.
But if the facts had been published
at once the public would have remem-
bered certain notorious shells made at
Raleigh. n. c. Mr.. Daniels would have
had an unhappy quarter of an hour.
Instead the time was used TO enable the
Navy Department TO prepare its abb.
The shells were not made during Mr..
Daniels's incumbency. Under .pretence
of serving the public interest, Mr..
Daniels's interest was served. In due
course. the alibi being ready, permits
sion to publish was casually given by
the SECRETARY 10 one correspondent.
Tho others who observed the censorship
were beaten"
II is Just this use of the censorship
President Wilson wants that every one
here fears-USE OF 1T TO HUSH
FAILURES UNTIL ALlBlS ARE
READY.
The Presidents Exception
The intent Of the censorship in its
most elementary form is TO prevent
military facts upon which the enemy
might base action from falling prema-
turely into his hands.
Consider the two precisely similar
cases Of the dispatch of our destroyers
and of cur troops abroad The purpose
in hiding the departure of the destroy
ers was to keep German submarines
from being on the lookout for them.
The secret was kept until the English
authorities. eager to give cheerful news
70 their own people, announced their
arrival, much TO the chagrin of our
navy press agents. who felt cheated
But the Germans are tipped off about
the departure of General Pershing by
, the President himself, because it suit
ed the Presidents political purposes
I to announce this action on the day he
gave out word of his refusal of the
Roosevelt volunteers. Army officers
were shocked at the announcement be-
fore Pershing's departure, much more
his safe arrival in Europe. II an edi-
tor had published this announcement
without the Presidents authority, Of
course, he would probably have faced
a very bad time.
Thus the censorship works any way
its master wills. When il is politically
wise TO prepare an abb down goes the
clamp on the facts. When il is polit-
ically necessary to seek public applause
any indiscretion may be committed.
This thing we have here now will fall
apart of its own folly-we are still in
the early stages of the war-but Mr.
Wilson wants TO fasten il, and probably
something worse, upon US by enact
ment, TO be enforced by the man who
hid the facts about the ST. Louis shells
until he got ready his abb.