Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-08-06
Movies of Americans in France
Shown in Neutral ard AZ
lied Countries to Spread
Gospel of Democracy,
PROGRESS OF WAR is
MADE VIVID TO PEOPLE
PIyate Photographers 3ener-
ally Excluded From Camps
end CantonmeQtsi Much
Fin Is Issued to 1-heatefs.

Enr MORNING JouRsAl SPECIAL LEAssD wtasI
| Washington, Aug. 5,---The story of
the governments policy and activities
in pictorializing the war, not only for
record and information but for morale
at home and for Combating the
German lie in other countries OF the
world" is told in report which Sec
retary BAKER has laid before congress.
1t is in reply to a resolution OF in
quiry regarding motion and still pic
lures of the American expeditlonaiy
force and OF the military preparations
at home; and it shows a comprehen-
slve system of picture activity safe
guarded by a permit system devised
by the committee on public informa-
ton and approved by the war depart
ment
The pictures are taken by signal
corps units and are shown in thou
sands of motion picture houses under
contracts on a commercial basis to
help pay the committees expenses in
motion picture propaganda.
Funds Go TO Treasury.
The funds received from these
sources, which are put in the treas
ury to the committees credit" says
the report "do not represent profit
in any sense. Every cent goes to man
ufacture and distribution OF the enor-
nous amount of film the committee
is compelled to distribute Without re-
turn in foreign countries as part OF
paign. All features and war reviews
will be supplied free OF charge to can
tonments in the United States and to
the picture shows ON the firing line in
France. The returns are to defray
the heavy expense of the free distrt-
button demanded by the necessities OF
our morale at home and even larger
necessities of combating the German
lie in other countries of the world"
Secretary Baker says each corps
headquarters and divisional headduar- I
ters of the American expeditionary
force is provided with signal corps
Photographic unit, consisting of one
'fficer and three enlisted men These
units. together with personnel neces-
sary for development laboratories.
supply service and to do spe-
cial Photographic work ordered by
General Pershing aggregated seven
teen officers and 102 enlisted men In
May. All motion picture negatives re-
ceived from overseas and prints OF
still pictures are delivered to the war
plans divisions of the general staff for
historical record and government
propaganda. Duplicate negatives, of
no value to the enemy, are turned over
to the committee.
Pcrshing Grants Permit,
General Pershing was allowed last
December 10 grant permission TO out.
siders to take photographs subject to
censorship of the expeditionary force,
but the war department has no infor-
nation as TO whom his permission has
been given. Here in the United States.
the committee. in cooperation with
the army and by order OF the secretary
of war, has worked out permit sys.
TEN TO enable civilian photographers
to take pictures of the war prepara-
tlons in this country. This system"
says Secretary Baker, Safeguards
military interests and deals adequate
~ and even generously with all pri-
vate interests desiring to present the
nations war progress to the people In
picture form.
Except in certain camps. where Sc
cret tests are being made, cantonments
have been free to photographers from
the beginning of the war. With re-
spect TO ordnance and airplane produc.
tion the military authorities have not
deemed it wise to expose secrets to
other than those in uniform and while
permits have been given In some cases
the general policy has been to exclude
private photographers from factories
where ordnance and airplanes are be-
ing made Tho permit procedure
makes investigation of the applicant
possible and furnishes control over the
pictures taken.'
Vast Action Assembled.
Permits are limited In fifteen days
from issue. Photographs cannot be
taken of experiments in materials.
or formations. ma
chine gun targets, or carnoufiage. All
have to be censored promptly and be-
fore publication by the committee.
In the case OF A famous seven-reeI
war crusading picture, the material
was collected by the signal corps OPP
orators in France and In this coun-
try ITO set before the people a COM
prehensive record of war progress in
this country and in France" II was
shown through the committees or
in the principal theaters
the larger cities. with patriotic or
and citizens cooperating.
In these showings. the Yepcrt explains,
there is no thought OF profit. the
idea being to gain the widest
possible publicity" Then, with their.