Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-01-04
War CENSORSHIP
Things Accomplished Should Not be
Censored.
PEOPLE have A RIGH1 TO KNOW

srIy q Censor, Now Visiting in the
United States, has Given Out
Talk in Which hs Makes Il Clear
that hs Know. Something About
Public Opinion.
New York World.
What should a war censorship De
like? Should It be an institution tna'
keeps from the people Of nation
news which is known to that nation
fighting men-and to the enemy-or
should II be an institution that gives
to a nation all the news 1t can with
out at the same time making public
anything which may be Of value to
the foe?
In the opinion of the man who was
Great Britain's censor during the
first year Of the present war end VINO
!, now is a visitor to this country-sir
Frederick Edwin Smith. the attorney
general Of England. and a veteran
Of the early fghting-the censorship
of any nation will find 1t the most
successful policy to let the people
know every possible aspect Of what
has been done. while. Of course. with
holding information as to what Is go
ing to be done in the way Of military
or naval action.
Tell what troops have been In
combat. Tell how they have Jared
Tell any individual or collective deeds
of heroism they have performed. Let
the people know just what their
friends and netghbors who went out
to fight for them are accomplishing.
said Sir Frederick last evening In an
interview with World reporter at
the Hotel Plaza.
II tho Enemy Knows, Why Not
Frisnds7
Provided. Of course" Sir Freder-
lex explained, that we are morally
certain this information Is already
In the enemy's hands. which Is bound
to be the case in any action where
prisoners have been taken or where
the enemy has had an opportunity to
learn the Identity Of those who have
fallen.
IF the enemy knows what units
were involved in battle, certainly
the people at home should know.
The morale Of a nation at home
is quite as vital a thing to be main
tanned as the morale Of an army at
the front. And to my mind the mo-
rale Of those back home may best be
kept at a high point by complete
news Of their armies"
Sir Frederick wished to have 1t
understood that he was not critics.
ing the British censorship-which
has broadened considerably in recent
months-nor the American censors
but was merely offering upon re-
Quest advice from his experience and
judgment.
There are two things involved In
the morale of a nation at home which
may be greatly aided by letting the
nation know as much as possible OF
what Is going on at the 'front.'" he
continued. "Onc is the consolation
It obtains from learning that It's
fallen men went to their end gallant
ly fighting, at some certain place and
against some certain unit OF the
cnemy-if that can be told. Then
again there is the inspiration the
news of n battle, victorious or other
wise. provides, the patriotic emotion
It creates, the added recruiting OF
those able to take a part at the front,
the added resolve of those behind to
do their share. BY all means, ] say
let the nation know what has been
done.
England Made Mistake.
"A censorship should not merely
say our troops did such and such
thing. They should say what troops
and where. and how. England, l
think, made a serious mistake early
in the war by simply saying our
troops in the reports which were al
lowed to reach home concerning the
fighting.
THAT allowed the impression to
got abroad-as 1t did-that the Ca
nadians and Australians were doing
all the fighting. and that the English
men we're being held back, whereas
the truth Is that IS per cent Of the
casualties in those early days were
suffered by the men who went right
from England to the front.
But the British censorship has
now broadened materially. II we do
not give the exact identity OF our
units (and frequently we do give
that), we at least say our West
country troops or our Lancashire
troops or whatever they were.
After had left the censorship for
other duties. learned Of a battle in
which two friends Of mine had gone
to death fighting most gallantly. /
wrote of this to the viceroy Of India,
whose friends they were also. Yet
their names were censored out of my
letter. That, insisted. was silly.
II opposed the policy Of entire Sc
crecy from the very beginning. But
opposed to me were the traditions OF
other years and other wars. However,
I am glad to say that conditions now
are much better in that respect
Ono Time For Silence.
"of course the identity Of units sent
to the fighting front should not be
made public before they have been In
combat. The enemy. by learning OF
what forces have been despatched
forward. might figure the strength,
the disposition. or. as the military ex-
perts call ii, the 'ordre de bataille' or
lineup. Of our armies. This they
should never be allowed to learn. But
In the matter Of an action which u