Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-11
CASUALTY PROTEST
ST|RS PRESIDENT
He Is Said to Have Asked War
Department for Report on
New Policy.
FRENCH DESIRED SECRECY

Owing to the general protest from all
parts of the country of the new policy
of the War Department against the pub
lication in the newspapers of lnforma'
nation concerning the death or INJURY of
American soldiers in France. President
Wilson, il is reported, has decided TO ask
Secretary Baker for report on the
subject.
Secretary Baker announced early in
the war that the public would be
promptly informed of all casualties in
the service. and it was at his sugges-
tion that the names and addresses or
all soldiers killed or injured in the line
of duty were supplied to the newspa-
pers for the information of the public
That was in addition to the old-time
practice of informing the next of KIM
Ordered in Secretary's Absence.
The change of policy was made by
Acting Secretary Crowell on the advice
of Gen. March. acting chief of staff.
while Secretary Baker was at sea and.
apparently. without his knowledge.
They based their action on report
from Gen. PerShing showing that the
ErenCh mlltaFN autnOrllleS lSil tHdl
some of the data about casualties made
public by the War Department contain
ed information of possible value to the
enemy. Special objection was made to
the publication of the date of death or
injury and the cause, whether by gas
or other means. The practice in France,
it was explained, was merely to notify
immediate relatives alone in cases of
deaths and to give no particulars.
1t was at first concluded to adopt the
n 1atH hYrt FtEat1r
of Secretary Bakers previous orders
that the public should be promptly in
formed of casualties. il was decided to
continue giving out the names, but
with no other information, not even the
residence or next-of-kin of the soldier.
Facts Would Come Out.
those who fall or are injured in the
service of their country will find their
way into the newspapers through ad-
vertisement for the Information of rel
atives and friends. or otherwise, but
say that such publications will be so
widely scattered that it would be diff
ficult for agents of the enemy to as
semble them, even if disposed to do So
In the smaller cities and towns it is
assumed the mere mention of a SOL
dier's name will lead to ready identi-
fication and publication without great
deal of effort. but in the great cities
that is accounted we'll nigh impossible
unless relatives themselves notify the
newspapers as they receive kilograms
from the War Department.
1t is estimated that in the forces now
abroad there are hundreds of men with
names quite common and many thou
sands with names differing only in
spelling or perhaps in initials. 1t has
been pointed out to officials that mere
publication of names. without further
Identification marks. probably will bring
apprehension and distress, and that the
War Department and the newspapers
will be besieged with demands for more
specific Information. officials how
ever. rely on their official kilograms to
relatives to carry the news to those
who are first entitled to know it, and
feel that they may pass il on to others
Must Ask War Department.
Until some other arrangements. il
any. are made the War Department
plans to issue the casualty list once
each day. and persons finding names
they recognize will have to communi-
cate with the War Department or rela-
tives of the man listed to learn if it is
some one else of the same name
Secretary Baker is known to desire
to cooperate with the French and other
allies in every possible way, and un-
the acting secretary and Cen March in
suppressing the addresses of American
soldires killed or injured if such is the
desire of the French authorities The
belief is growing, however. that the OBJ
lection was directed against the pubca-
ton of dates. places and methods of war
fare in Europe; rather than against the
publication of whether a soldier on the
firing line happened to come from one
part of the United States or another
Being right on the spot, ii is expected
that Secretary Baker will be able to
straighten out the misunderstanding at
once, and either suppress the publica-
tion of casualties entirely. or permit
their publication In a way to estab-
ilsh the identity of those mentioned
The War Departments new plan Of
issuing the casualties may be in
vestigated by the Senate military com
mittee Senator New of Indiana today
had his resolution. calling upon the
department for information, referred
to the committee. stating that he and
other senator's had received many crit
icisms of the order.