Weekly journal-miner., 1918-02-13
CONTROvERSYHAS REMOVED GAG
 FROM PEOPLE
PERSISTENT EFFORT TO ABRIDGE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND OF PRESS REIN FRED NUGATORY BY CHAMBERLAIN.
Special 10 the Journal-Miner.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 7.- Out of the exciting controversy be- tween the President and Senator Chamberlain, there has come one re. suit which will be of lasting benefit tc popular governments loosening of the gag and freeing of the press Ever since the United States entered the war, we have heard much about making the world safe for demo- cracy", an expression which has been widely used to bolster up the falling fortunes of the Democratic party. The word democracy" has been worked overtime for the advan. tagc of party that is democratic chiefly in name.
 Ever since the United States enter. ed the war there has been persistent effort to abridge freedom of speech and of the press. There was an effort made tc accomplish this by lcgisla. ;ion, which was defeated. There was an effort to accomplish it by an auto cratic censorship, which was partly successful There was an appeal to the press to omit publication of mat ter Of certain specified character re garding military affairs, and the press responded with a readiness and gen. erosity that demonstrated its willing ness to do anything that could help win the war, and finally, there was an attempt to exercise Federal control of news print paper, which was frustrated. Out of this suppress sion of public discussion of military affairs, there naturally grew up a tendency toward negligence. The feeling of security from publicity bred spirit of carelessness.
 There were illustrations of this in tie long delays in determining what type of weapons should be ordered and in letting contracts after con clusion had been reached. There were instances in the inhuman manner II which some of the army physicians neglected or mistreated sick soldiers Had it been known from the begin ming that such neglect and maladmin- istration would later be held up to public view, there would have been a far different spirit in the performance of public duty.
 Both press and public now realize what | serious mistake was made IF suppressing facts in America which were well known in Germany. Thero is also full recognition of the injury our cause has suffered by reason oi the policy of expressing information that would not be of use to our enem- ies even ii openly conveyed to them Lut which the enemy could have fl desired. There can be no doubt that tke kaiser or his military leaders knew VIC were dallying over selection oi guns and that we were not supply ing sufficient clothing to protect ade- quately our soldiers from the in clemencies of the winter weather.
 Since it has become apparent that To good, but much harm, has result ed from the policy of unnecessary secrecy, there is evidence that the American people are determined henceforth 10 hold the administration to a strict accountability for the flu tlre conduct of the war, and citizens ir all parts of the country are show ing willingness to communicate to their senators and representatives in congress any information they have regarding the true situation in army camps and in the handling of war measures. Heretofore men and wo men have been afraid to tell what they know because they would be held up as "pro-German." That period has now passed, and the representatives of the reople will now have access to much Information not available in the past.
 Out of it all we shall get a more efficient management of the war and d more general recognition of the first essential of popular government freedom of speech and of the press.