Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-13
Newspapers and Government
IFrom the Philadelphia Inquirer1

IFrom the Philadelphia Inquirer1
In an effort to cut down the con-
sumption of paper the War Indus
tries Board has undertaken to es-
tablish rules for the guidance of the
newspapers. Advertisements must
not be interfered with. but reading
matter must be curtailed. If news
paper has been in the habit of CIV
ing fifty columns or less of reading
matter a day, it must lop off five per
cent. Fifteen per cent. less is made
mandatory between fifty and seventy
columns, thirty per cent. between
seventy and ninety, and so on.
1t Is an intricate scheme and a
thoroughly unsatisfactory one. Since
lit is paper that the War Industries
Board wishes to save, why should
it be so particular as to the precise
manner in which the saving is to be
made? Everything that is not paid
advertising it classifies as reading
matter, and this reading matter must
go out by the column, although a
publisher might prefer in times of
highly important news. to sacrifice
advertising rather than curtail es-
sential information that the public
should have.
If 1t is necessary to reduce the out
put of paper the proper course to
pursue would be to put it UP to
each individual newspaper to use less
tonnage to the extent required, leav-
ing the problem to the newspaper
itself to work out. Some days more
white paper is needed than on others.
Some days paper can be saved with
out detriment to the pubic. But to
insist that a certain percentage of
space devoted to news shall be elm
mated without the slightest regard
to the necessities of the days is ab-
surd.
The government would be very
foolish to hamper any industry en-
gagged in manufacturing ships or war
material of any sort. While the
newspapers are not the output Of a
government bureau or commissio n,
they are very closely related to the
prosecution of the war. They are the
vehicle through which all informa-
tion is conveyed to the public. They
are engaged in a tremendously pa
triotic enterprise. 1t is through them
that enthusiasm is maintained. They
are expected-and are performing
the task-to stimulate recruiting; to
sell Liberty Bonds; to induce the
purchase of War Savings Stamps; to
raise immense funds for the Red
Cross and all other relief projects.
They are expected to support the
government in every war undertak-
ing; to make known the govern
ment's policies; to insist that there
shall be no peace short of a COM
plete triumph over the enemy; to
grapple with pro-German lies and
sentiment.
Just imagine what it would be
like If there were no newspapers.
Why. the prosecution Of the war
would be simply impossible. How
could the Presidents patriotic ad-
dresses be spread abroad? How
would the people be enabled to know
what was going on?
The demands of the government
upon the newspapers for the circula-
ton of government propaganda are
enormous. We believe that that is
the proper word-enormous. 1t
seems to us, therefore, to be pretty
poor policy to clap upon the news
papers hard and fast rules which will
require the radical elimination of
space and thereby necessarily inter-
fere seriously with the great work
which the newspapers are carrying
on for the government
The scheme of the War Industries
Board is all wrong. Far better re-
uuire that a newspaper shall reduce
the total tonnage of paper ordinarily
consura ed in the course of three
months. six months or a. year to the
extent of a definite percentage and
leave the details in the hands of the
publishers.