Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-26
Enemy by La,D" For
Cutting Out Of All
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
rBy T. G.. DougheIty.l

Washington. April 26.-The war de-
partment just now is giving a demon
siratiom OF the utility of censorsh!f
IN unframed hands.
The American troops in the TouI
sector repulsed the most determined
attack the Germans have thus fal
made against them at Seicheprey last
Saturday and Sunday. The British anc
French official reports made brief ref
crence to this engagement. The Ger
man statement vas at variance with
British and French reports, claiming 4
complete victory and the capture OF
1S3 American prisoners and twenty
five machine guns.
Official reports to the war depart
ment showed .hesc claims to be exag-
gerated General Pershing showed the
American losses were a third less than
those of the Germans. But the wal
department issued no official state
ment and the boastful German state
ment was permitted to stand without
official denial It would have gone
utterly unchallenged, but the news
paper men found means of determining
tie facts PerEhing had reported.
The reason for this secrecy is not
apparent TIE Germans know they
had taken prisoners. 1t would give
them no military information they did
no. already possess for an American
official statement to give the facts
Yet the only official statements issued
were those of the British and French
governments, issued primarily for
their own people, and necessarily with
no idea in mind of giving the Amer
lean public the sort of report 1t would
like of the heaviest engagement in
which their troops have yet partici
pated.
Secretary Baker issued an order
after an understanding with General
Pershing that all news of military ac-
tivity in Franco should come from
General Pershings headquarters. He
Cid not, however, authorize Pershing
to issue an official communique, sim
liar to those issued daily by the other
allied governments. The result is to
place the American people at disad-
vantage in getting official news.
General Pershing is a good soldier.
but one of the poorest reporters in the
army. The war department doesn't
help matters any by holding up the
news he sends.
No newspaper man wants militar"
information that would help the Hun.
But they all know it would do no harm
t. give the american people at least
as much information as the Germa ms
got Of the operation of American
troops.
To withhold all official Information
of troop activities is to arm the Ger
man propaganda with the very
weapon he needs. He is circulatins
stories Of heavy American losses that
are utterly ridiculous to one who
knows the facts, but many people be-
!eved them because the stories go I'M
challenged by official report giving the
facts.
If all the regiments had been wipai
out that these German propagandists
have destroyed in their malicious re-
ports there would be no army left. By;
the German military authorities ace
left free to max. exaggerated claims
in their official reports and the Ger
man propaganda is left free to spread
his alarming reports because the war
department has rot yet seen the ne
cnssity Of giving the people such facts
rs can he told in an official com.
| lnunique.