The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-11-08


partly for the reason that newSpa-
pers and writers in this country
have been accustomed TO give CON
,ideration only to such restrictions
as are dctaed by individual pol
icieS and libel laws, and for the fur
} ther reason that those charged
e. with the making and carrying out
= OF regulations have had to feel their
way eXperimentally, Necessarily this
has led to frequent changes in the
/ rules.
The purposes OF censorship are
to keep military information from
the enemy and prevent the dsSsem-
nation OF news and propaganda
which might injuriously affect pub
lie feeling at home or the good re-
IalionS between this government
and its allies. This is what those
in charge OF the censorship are at
tempting to accomplish and il kept
in mind it will often point to the
solution OF problem, arising in prep
aration OF the news report.
As publishers agree on the wis
dom OF supprfsSing news which
might be OF value to the enemy, re
gardless of cen,or,hin rules there
b,. heen So, nm voluntary cen
sorship probably more effective than
ANYTHING the government could
hone TO enact into law. This self
imnosed nledoe in foct i so thor
oughly applicd that many newspa-
pers. and oitentimes The Associat ed
Press. lean backward so far they
expose themselves 70 the danger OF
being beaten needlesslv on news
that leeitimateIv NAV be printed
1t is possible to tell almost anv
story. which in war time, would |
TEMPT a publisher without violatino |
censorship regulations Frequently !
,torie, are suppressed because some
forbidden TACT Ina, been retained
which i, no wise essential 70 the
telling OF the story and which is in
no wise essential to the telling OF
the story and which adds nothing
to its new, value. The ;mnortant
thino for the writer to determine
first i the essential feature or noint
OF the new, he wants to give 70 the
public. and then decide whether il
/, objectionable. II NOT he may
write those facts. using care to
avoid the insertion of any extrans-
ous phrase, running counter to tbe
prescribed regulations.
For examDle if i, imnroner to do
scribe the routina Of troops ooino
to France whether transnorts
steamed away sinolv or in orouns
whether tbev were convoved all ar
only nart of the way acros. tbe A.
laniic or similar facts which are nj
teresring but trivial beside the bio
Ger news that more than 4 million
men have act.allv been TRANSPORTED
TO the battle fronts and that loss Of
Life has been very small
Here is the way we lean backward
at times. The transnort 81 p,ul
met with disaster ap6roacbinq her
nier ON this side "A p were 50 can
lions we said the accident occurred
at an Atlantic port, while Others
told exactlv where if actually took
place and New York paDers pub-
Ii,hed photograDhs of the Shin.
There Mas no reason eXcept failure
to orapsD fine real nurpose of thc
for our excessive call
.iou ON the other hand another
press association printed the loca-
ion of coast disaster in which =
shin ran on the rocks at an exDosed
point and had TO call for help from
,ther shins This was ,vrono he
,ause the distressed vessel and the
,hips going to her assistance were
,ubiected to DANCER from any 1urk-
ing enemy submarine. In both
,ases. as well as in most others. ap-
olication OF common sense would
lave pointed the proper course.
Recently a regiment of American
-ooDs went TO Europc via Canada
There were celebrations at yarious
stopping points. including Caloarv
Ninnipeg. Toronto and Montreal
IN which Canadian and British Of
icials reviewed the trooDs The re-
,eptions were costly and had heen
with a view to nleasino
his country. The Canadian news.