The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-23

| retary or the navy, before the Baltl'
more Press Club:
The press of America has won ma
tional gratitude by its splendid spirit
of service during the past year
With few exceptions, the news
| papers have put service of country
above everything else. News has
been secondary to service. During
the days after relations were severed
with Germany it was to the papers
that the people looked for a clear
presentation of the duty of this
country. 1t rang clear and true
and when the declaration OF wal
was made in solemn assertion of ma
tionaI dlty the press was almost a
unit in support OF the noble utter
ances of the president. And from
that hour whether it was in support
OF the selected draft, the recruit
ing campaign, propaganda for the
liberty loan, food and fuel conserva-
tion, the drives for the Red Cross
and the Y. M. c. A., or leading in
community honors paid to youth go
ing to war-whatever the call, the
press has responded with a cheerful
AYE, aye, sir" and has led in the
enthusiastic support Of every meas
ure for national unity and national
victory. The splendid way in which
the press as whole has risen to the
occasion and measured up to its re-
spOnsibilities has given me an add
ed pride in the profession.
Citizens Before They Are Editors.
What is the duty OF the press
when their government is at war
That is the question which every
patriotic editor has asked himself
every day since April 9. 1t has not
been difficult question for most
editors, for they regard themselves
as citizens before they are editors,
and, therefore, they have supported
the policy of the government.
through its chosen agents, when its
policy commended itself to their
Judgment. When they we're not
convinced, they have acquiesced.
pointing out in a way that could not
be used against their country, their
suggestions of better ways to win
the war. The newspaper men in this
hour are the eyes and ears of the
public, which has a right to know
what the government is doing. 1t is
their duty to tell the story just as it
is, neither magnifying defects nor
minimizing accomplishments. In
every country at war except Amer
lea there is strict censorship of the
press. Here we have none. The
government, through its committee
on public information, mas formally
requested the newspapers to refrain
from publishing certain information
for military reasons. Officials in
many cases have taken newspaper
men into their confidence, and rare
ly has this confidence been abused.
Few Violation of Censorship.
Some OF our military preparations
and operations can not be revealed
without giving valuable information
to the enemy. They would make
great reading, of course; but the
publication of them might do as
much damage as if the secrets had
been stolen by German spies. The
press is loyal and the comparatively
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hands in states where two parties
flourish, and there is promise OF re-
ward for efforts made. There are
such states on this years card, and
the Republican hope is centered in
them.
A congress controlled in both
both branches by the Republicans
meetin gon the eve of the opening
of the next presidential campaign
would create an interesting situa-
ton, 1t need not, should not, al
feet the war program-aSSuming the
war still raging then-but it would.
necessarily, affect issues of party
character, as both parties will at
time be squaring off for the great
quadrennial shindy. The president
will be thinking of his party, and
maybe of a third term for himself,
while the Republicans will be think
ing OF return to comfortable habi-
tation after eight years spent in the
wilderness.