Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-26

pay Of a people should perform two
fold duty; 1t should not only suppress
facts valuable to the enemy, but alst
exploit facts that It Is the right Of the
people to possess. Our censorship no
only doesn't tell war department &C.
credited correspondents Of what hap.
pens. 1t honestly doesn't know.
For instance:
| The first American unit to go into
first-line trenches did so on Tues
day. The fact was announced by the
French minister Of foreign affairs on
the floor Of the French chamber Of
deputies on the next Thursday. Ye!
that movement OF his own men was
not known to an officer of our. military
censorship stationed at field headauar-
tiers itself. at p. m. on the following
Friday. one hour before he saw the
official communique.
This officers rank is that Of a cap
tain in the Intelligence section!
A fortnight earlier. issuing passes
that not sentry asked to see when
they got to camp, this same censorship.
or intelligence section, as the legal
fiction calls 1t. was pleading with cor
respondents to "let the Y. NJ, C. A.
alone"--the Y. NJ. c. A. was not the
army: on that Friday 1t was offering
some visiting correspondents a treat
in the way OF tour OF Y. NJ c. A.
huts. A fortnight earlier It bade us
rewrite for the hundre dth time the old
story Of drills and training: told us
TO publish no military information re-
auested us to get behind the fighting
man"--the flirtless. drinkless. swearless
fighting man--when there wasn't any
man lighting.
could multiply instances But to
what purpose,
Navy Better Handled.
All this is not intended as any
criticism OF individuals: 1t Is merely
an exposition OF an amusing. but dan
gerous, system Still less is anything
that have said OF the army censor
ship to be applied to the naval. which,
In spite Of the army censor's assertions
to the contrary. is efficient. quick.
sensible and knows It's own mind. The
French and English armies think that
the enemy might like to know what
generals oppose them at given points
and won't care what enlisted mon Is
there. so the French and English
armies suppress generals names and
permit Tommies': but the American
army censorship considers that the
name OF private soldier Is Of vital
value TO Germans and implies that
the name OF generals are useless, and
so our rules are the reverse Of our
allies.
The French and English censorsh'ps
think that they. ought to help the cor
respondent. they inform him when
something Is coming or and they let
him write In pencil II he pleases: but
the American censorship can't tell what
IL isn't trusted 10 know and insists on
carbon copy OF every manuscript
for its own future reference. That's
the system.
The individuals you've got 10 be
sorry for. The major resigns" week
with a double e. But they
won't let him 60
III give you $1,000" ne told one
correspondent, "if You can get me out
OF this Job"
NO one except the censor at head
quarters" says the Field Service Regu-
lations, Shall have the authority of
censorship" But the trouble with the
major IS that he Is ma tor, and, F. g.
r. to the contrary. notwithstap ding,
he has to take orders fromsiieutenant
colonels, and does.
Right there Is the difficulty.
A Remedy.
Here is the proposed remedy:
II is the remedy suggested by Wythe
Williams. OF the New York Times. and
it is the only one now apparent which
will do Justice to all sides: provide the
army with the credit that Is Its due,
keep secret military information from
the enemy and give the American pub
lie the news Of its men in the ranks.
1t Is simply that the chief censor be
properly qualified civilian. and answer
able not to any general but only TO
the president and the secretary Of war.
The press" says Field Service Regu-
has public functions to per-
form with respect to the collection ana
OF news concerning tho
operations of the army in time OF war
The dissemination Of falsehoods or dis
tortion of facts. no less than the pre-
mature disclosure OF movements or
plans, is so fraught with dangerous
that the greatest care
should be observed in Its prevention.
THE press occupies dual and dell
cate position. being under the neces-