El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-12
NO ADDRESSES WITH CASUALTIES;
PEOPLE WILL BE IN THE DARK

HE ar senarfment instead Of moderatng the censor
ship as Maj. Gen. Peyton C. March intimated when
he assumed the office of chief Of staff has made it
much rigorous. The department has ceased giving
home addresses after in the casualty lists The
casualty lists consist merely Of one name after an
other when the name aJOhn SMITH appears in the
casualty list readers VIII not know whether he is from
II Paso Texas from Seattle, Washington, unless per-
haps some reader just chances to recognize the name
that Of an acquaintance Even then he may be wrong
The dead soldier may be John Smith Of NeY York instead
Of John Smith Of Fl Paso
Moreover since lists of Names with home addresses
attached practically useless for publication it is prob
ahie that newspapers VIII not publish them when the
casualty lists grow long Then the public viii be without
information the relatives Of dead wounded sol
Sers nav communicate the facts the newspapers This
viii be possible for the that the censorship win not
relatives They will be notified promptly IN
case Of death OF injury It IS the newspapers and through
them the general public which to be left in the dark
The war department bases its action a statement
nat Gen Pershng commandments of the American
sdonary forces has recommended the expurgstion Of
khs casualty lists Gen Pershng represented having
said publication Of casualty lists with addresses attached
revealed information which the enemy anxious to
5btan that he continually skng lives of his troops
expendng munitions In raids for the purpose OF taking
and guzzing few prisoners This information the enemy
deres Is the identity Of the troops opposite him Given
the Of regiment, the enemy knows whether it Is
regular amy national guard national army; knows pos
by TO what division It belongs an6 makes an estimate
Of about THAT its offensive and defensive abilities
The question IS does theenemy really get any information
from 4 home address?
s hard to see how the addition Of SCI Paso Texas"
alter the Of @ohn Smith" tends to reveal the iden
Gty Of the unit John Smith, Of FL Paso may be in any
arm Of the regular service he may De IN Of two
companies edeTazed national guardsmen CT several
auxiliary companies in national army artillery reg
snent What can the enemy get of that? Publication
ef IS Fl Psso in would give the enemy little
more light on the subject than that OF
Besides before the list printed IN the United States
could get back Germany and reach the enemy field COM
ander the chances that the composition Of the Aer
can forces opposite him would have been changed that
any such information would be vaueess for front line
troops frequently relieved by other troops and sent to
rest stations Moreover Gen Uershngs casualty lists
generally from three days to week old when given cut at
Washington increasing the probability that the compost
ton Of the troops IN the front lines IN given area would
have changed before the information possibly could reach
the enemy Let be forgotten, finally, that there
telling the casualty lists from which Of three areas
the casualties come whether from ALL whether they
are infantry, artillery auziharies-
An the foregoing set forth not to set up the Judgment
Of civilian as against that of Gen. Pershng, but to show
that If there really good for keeping the Amer
can people IN the dark regarding their losses that reason
has not been satisfactorily explained