The Washington herald., 1918-08-18
As to Censorship.

9 There has been a significant shift of policy in
Great Britain, France and the United States
CARDS censorship. 1t is great change for the
better.
For three years and more after the war began
the Western front a great mystery, a great
secret, zealously guarded by the military from
CIVILIAN eyes. No one except a handful of men
knew how many men, how many divisions France
had fighting the enemy. 1t was regarded as the
highest military consequence that this military in
formation should not be published. In Great Bri-
tain the situation was almost equally bad Perhaps
in- the first year. when the British army small,
p51y and unframed, this policy was justified. 1t
was not exactly the right thing to inform the
enemy as to just how many he would have
to- face in trying to capture Ypres and reach the
Channel ports
But after the battle OF the Somme, 1916, in
which Britain began to show the full measure Of
her strength, there was little or for
Withholding from the world the true measure Of
tie force which forcing the fight against Pris-
sianism in the West. But the military pundits had
their way without question. There pub
hshed any salient fact statistics about the ex-
act situation in France.
When the United States came into the war,
the government adopted this tradition of excessive
secrecy; in fact, for time almost fell over back
wards" in trying TO maintain il; But, swung
rod of our painful, clumsy beginnings over,
and the day OF achievement at hand new
and stimulating policy adopted. On July 3,
last Secretary of War Baker announced that more
than 100000 American troops had been sent
abroad Since that time, with great regularity, the
world has been informed as to the increment to
this force averaging almost 100000 weekly and to
tue magnitude OF American preparations.
The widest possible advertisement has been
49, IL.
may know just what he is up against, and so that
our allies may know just what to expect from us.
il is an entirely policy, and at first it some
what disconnected the Europeans. They have not
adopted as radical course have, although
they now recognize that, with the initiative in the
hands of Foch it will be the best possible plan to
lf the Boche know the power of the force that he
will be compelled to meet in 1919.
3 The power of publicity will have its greatest
demonstration if the United States can break down
German morale through reiteration of the facts that
we all know. At first the German general staff
combatted this sort of propaganda with falsehoods
and with contemptuous denial of the potential
American power in the field. They still pur-
suing this course although the events of the past
Jew weeks have forced them to diversity their lies
to a certain extent.
The conferences which Gen. Peyton c. March
is holding with newspaper men have gone far to-
wards breaking up the conVentonai ioes oL 'ne
censorship. Gen. March has freely analysed the
fighting on the Western 'front.' told of the develop
ntcnt of American power, informed the world
Of our program for 1910
Q Germany now knows everything from the United
States; and she has not been misintormed- She
knows that we intend to win the war IN the West
that we will have eighty divisions opposed to her
next July that we intend to fight on until we reach
Berlin or Potsdam. if there is no other way to
bring the enemy to his knees.
tThe United States is backing up its genersliues
with specific statements of facts. 1t does not hesl
tate to say that its air program is ninety days be
hind schedule but it shows also that it is turning
out more Liberty motors in a month than Germany
does OF her largest types in a year. Its mistake:
are advertised so that he who runs may read; bu
no one is permitted to doubt what the objective
is that we are seeking, and when are certain tc
reach il