Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-10
CENSORSHIP OF
NEWSPAPERS IS
ORDERED DBY US.
Press Printing Seditious Arti-
cles Giving Comfort to
Enemy to Be Suppressed

Washington, Oct. 10.-Postmaster
General Burleson announced yester-
day his department policy under the
censorship provision of the trading.
with-the-e enemy act.
He said that publications need not
fear suppression unless they trans.
gress the bounds of legitimate crit.
icism of the President, the admins
tration, the Army, the Navy or con-
duct of the war.
I'VE shall take great care not to
let criticism which is personally or
politically offensive to the admins
tration affect our action" he said
But If newspapers go so far as to
impugn the motives of the govern
ment and thus encourage insubordi-
nation, they will be dealt with Sc
verely.
For instance, papers may not say
that the government is controlled by
Wall Street, or munition manufac-
turers, or any other special interests
Publication of any news calculated
to urge the people to violate law will
be considered grounds for drastic
action. We will not tolerate cam
paigns against conscription, enlist
ments, sale of securities or revenue
collections. We will not permit the
publication or circulation of anything
hampering the wars prosecution or
attacking improperly our allies"
To Judge Hyphens by the Past
NJ. Burleson explained that the
policy of foreign language newspa-
pers would be judged by their past
utterances, and not by newly an
nounced intentions. I'VE have files
of thees papers, and whether we Ii
cense them or not depends on our
inspection of the files" he said.
German newspapers not licensed
will be required to publish English
translations.
Mr.. Burleson said no Socialist pa
per would be barred from the mails
unless it contained reasonable or
seditious matter.
The trouble is" he added, that
most Socialist papers do contain this
matter"
Commerce and communications
restrictions authorized by the trad
ing -with-the- enemy act will be put
into effect within a few days under
an executive order President Wilson
had virtually completed tonight aft
Ell comforting with Cabinet mem
bers. Vance c. Mccormick, chairman
of the exports administrative board,
and Acting Secretary Crosby, of the
treasury.
Postmaster General Burleson an
nounced that the provision author
izing the Post Office Department to
license foreign language newspapers
already was in operation. and that
within ten days the department
would begin to issue licenses. Some
papers already have filed applica-
tions and scores are expected with
in the next few days.
Boards TO Do Censoring
Under the tentative draft of the
executive order, the censorship of
mails, cables, radio and telegraph
communication would be entrusted
to a board including representatives
of the Post Office, War and Navy
Departments, and the exports ad-
ministration. The Navy, which now
censors cables, the War Department,
which exercises control over tele-
graph communication to Mexico
probably would retain those func-
tions, while the new problem of GEN.
soring mail, directed particularly to
Spain. and the northern European
neutral countries, would be given
special attention by the Army and
exports administration representa-
tives on the board of censors.