The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-01

lations or requests to guide the American press in the voluntary cen- sorship observed since the country went to war were issued last night by the committee on public information to become effective today. Several inn portant changes have been made, rep resenting the lessons learned by the committee and the army and navy of ficers since the first regulations were issued last June. Three of the original requests to which special importance was at tached and under which loyal news papers have gone to press without many an interesting piece of news have been withdrawn entirely. They are the requests that nothing be pub- lished tending to disclose the names of line officers or individual units of the expeditionary forces tending to disclose the identity of American mer- chant ships and their crews defend ing themselves against submarines or giving information relating to dry docks and repair and construction work.
 Unof1cially it is explained that these prohibitions are withdrawn largely because of the difficulty in having them universally observed, and in the belief that such informa- ton would be obtained by the enemy regardless of whether it appeared in the American newspapers. Other changes are made and there are some additions, but most of them are of minor character.
 With the regulations the commit tee issued this statement:
 'The committee on public infor- nation makes public herewith a re- vision of the requests of July 30 with respect to the concealment of mili- tary information, for the guidance of correspondents and editors who have periodically placed themselves under censorship of their own enforcement. Future revisions will follow in con- formity with the changing military | situation. None of these requests will be retained when it is established that the secrecies now considered eSeen- ] tial for the successful conduct of mil itary operations no longer serve a definite military purpose.
 ''The committee is requested by the war-making branches of the govern i ment to urge again upon the press 1 the serious necessity for observing these requests. It is highly import ant that military information be kept | out of print. It is a matter of little consequence how widely military in i formation of the most important character is known within the bor- | ders of the United States. The pur- 1 pose of these requests is to prevent such information from reaching the enemy. The printed page forms a safe and easy method of communica- l tion for the enemy agent. Whenever he can be forced to attempt the use ! of the telegraph, the cable or any other medium for the transmission of news the risks of detection are i'm measureably multiplied. But he can mail 8 newspaper or a magazine with i out leaving a trace.
 "The committee is without legal authority or moral right to bring any form of pressure on publications to enforce observance of these re- quests. These paragraphs embody what the military and naval experts 1 Ol OuI COu1lIIy lO D6 IIF mum that can be asked, at this time, for the protection of our soldiers and sailors and the success of our mill tary plans. For their observance the government relies implicitly upon the loyalty and, judgment of the in. dividual writer and publisher. 'In order that the American peo- pie may clearly understand why cer- tain news does not appear in print it is urged that these requests be print ed in full.
 'The attention of the press is called to the provision that these requests do not apply to news dispatches censored by military authority with the expe- Iditionary forces in those cases where the government itself in the form of official statements, may find it neces- sary or expedient to make public in formation covered by these requests D
 The Requests.
 The requests follow:
 "For the protection of our military and naval forces and of merchant shipping, it is requested that secrecy be observed in all matters or:
 '1-Advance information of the routes and schedules of troop move ments. (See paragraph 5.)
 ''2Information tending to disclose the number of troops in the eHpedi- tionary forces abroad.
 ''3-Information calculated to dis close location of the permanent base or bases abroad
 "+Infornation that would disclose the location of American units or the eventual position of the American forces at the front.
 Conformation tending to disclose , an eventual or actual port of embark , ation: or information of the move ment of military forces toward sea ports or of the assembling of military forces at seaports from which infer ence might be drawn of any inten- tion to embark them for service abroad: and information of the as' sembling of troops or conveys; and information of the enbarkatidn itself
 "6-Information of the arrival a any European port of American wal vessels. troops or any portion of any expeditionary force. combat4nt ol non-combatant.
 l "7-Information of the time of de- parture of merchant ships from Amer ican or European ports. or informa- ton of the ports from which they sail or information of their cargoes.
 "s-Information indicating the DOT of arrival of incoming ships from Flu ropean ports or after their arrival in- dicating.. or hinting at. the port al which the ship arrived.
 ''eInformation as to conveys and l as to the sighting of friendly or en- enny shirs rzhether naval or kaer-