Arizona republican., 1918-03-09
The Place for the Censor

Optimism, conjecture, prophecy and forced con struction of dispatches distinguish the war news which from Washington. There, in the national capital would seem be the most truthful field for the if he really wanted to make himself use full. The war news from this has long been of such character camouflage of what has happened, general and oracular what is going to be done, concealng reverses that all the world knew had taken place. that it has long since come to be dsre garded by even moderately careful observers.
 If such stuff were served up from other source it would not be bad. But coming from the national capital it is easily supposed that has official inspiration It is patent the dulest reader, information. It is equally patent that it has no object than make the American people feel good. Whisky morphine for time has a pleasing effect.
 Here for instance is sample of the news which was presented yesterday morning.
 More submarines were destroyed by the allies and American naval forces in December than Germany able to build during that month, according to infor- nation reaching Washington. This fact developed to- day in discussions of the statement made to para- ment on Tuesday by Sir Eric Geddes first lord of the British admiralty that the submarines were being checked.
 In the first place. this was not It relates to matter which had been published from the original source sixty hours before. Moreover it a mis- statement of the utterance of Sir Eric Geddes who said" For some time we believe and the Americans have been sinking the submarines fast they built" As a matter of fact, that be nothing than belief. It is possible that the submarines being destroyed as fast they being built, but there is way of knowing that that Sir Eric could only believe it. but belief is not very convincing unless the statement of it is accompanied by some for believing. There such accomp- anying statement
 Another vague bit of information in the Washing ton dispatch was:
 What officials know of plans for pressing the att tack with increasing vigor explains the feeling of optimism that prevails in official circles, despite continued heavy drains ship tonnage through the Uboats. The gradual decline in tonnage losses was graphically pictured to parliament by Sir Eric with charts
 The redeeming feature of this morsel is that have become familiar with it by long association. Ever since engaged in the there was "hen on' Eggs of mystery matching. That none of them yet have been proved to be fertile is no sign that there will not time be brood of achieve ments
 As to Sir Fries curves they like so much of work-on paper. However satisfying they may be to the eye ttSy have apparent relation in fact to the weekly destruction of tonnage which for the last four consecutive weeks has gone on, on level higher than that of the previous month
 We know and wish there was some power to convince these compers that the American people do
 
 seriousness. It is no time for kidding" We do not think the English people like this sort of stuff, either We would all rather see the seamy side. We are neither children. we towards afraid to face the truth. It is darkness, conceament mystery that make towards
 On the same day there another dispatch-this one from London, stating that merchant ships were being sunk faster than they were being built In it this statement appears:
 Baron Inchcape, complaining of what he termed the unpromising outlook said that a sound had been heard along the Clyde since last Saturday It might be, he suggested, that was going on and that no warships destroyers to submarines required He said he thought more information about shipping losses might be given the people to make them appreciate the gravity of the situation adding:
 our tonnage is being sunk at a rate of which the people have conception There a curious lack of realization in many parts of the country the grave situation with which faced"
 We would ask of a sensible reader which of these statements bears the stamp of truth and fact Which one is more calculated arouse the people to action?