Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-30

March :. 1879.
ysrstsn representatives: Cone. Lor-
snsen { WooAman. Advertising b1os,
Sst5: Us Victor Rlds. Kansas CITY
4 FRIEND At COURT
Tha trial OF the men responsible fof
the ARht against conscr1ption which
~ conducted BY the socialistic mag
ssina. The Masses supplies one OF
mnny instances illustrating the need
for coordination and cooperation OF the
ruvsrnmsnt's various agencies IN the
various steps incident to making war.
The department Of justice Is prose
e.,tinr these men, citing rs proof OF
tlair Ruik the articles which they puD-
.NsheA and circulated, in which they
urced popular movement to defeat
~ operation Of the CONSUMPTION law.
me head of tho department OF pub
lie information, % much goveinmen'
agency o. the department OF 1ustice.
s4estiaes ct the trial, admits no mas
hem . contributor to the magazine
and tells OF his friendship and nlsn
ro9ard for Max Eastman ana otneIs
corrected With The Masses.
Il 10 interesting to see now Ibis
eftuation worked out.
Creel, % head Of the department OF
Information, established q system OF
voluntary Censorship which he de.
Aned IN . long and involved set OF
r,tles that was sent to every newspa-
per end probably to every magazine
n the United States. Many OF the
.rulee are foolish in the extreme, but
practically every loyal editor has OBJ
served them rigidly because there II
no possibility Of IN appeal from them.
But tAeir observance q optional with
eacA editor. II he desires to disregard
tAo rasas there u no law to punish him
unless ho should overstop the bounds
81 ND By the statutes on sedidon, with
whbch Crssl has nothing to do. Creel
deoerds On public opinion and the pa.
tYiutism Of editors for. the majesty OF
IA satAoyity, and in general his con-
A0snee has been justified.
~ tie publishers OF such maya.
sins @ The Masses SGT out to mold
PsStle opinion IN opposition to the car a..
lid psMcip1e Of NE sovcrnmeni =
WV4 D00Cy. my SOAV 49, :
1yAss q nsapAt With impun1ty. because ui
Adf avpe1 49, 70 . .ne s1 - Us Css,
loyM ~ . ..o,. t ~ .nXe =. =
:. ~ ~ ~ ..st.~srs.. ~ NJ
~ wio -. 80. .s..s.S,st.c n,,.,lics.
!. - ~ ss-AA'
,Tha publishsrs Of TAs Masses knew
Creoi SaA no legal auth0R3ty - . cen
sor They knew Cresl 700. ano tney
knew his tepdcn9 % sooAsM ~ ~.
pAold1m. Whstner tney knsW -
oplniea OF the anN ~! ~ ~
brought out N the tr1a. nut tnoy
counted him . nieo0 q court, sn0
when thoy wanted 70 prepare uo
fonso IN advnnce 81 p.slDle t1 ~ u.
der the ssdieaon lsws tney a1keoLno'
the govefnmenss ie91 aeps s..t .h ~,
the poseomce aepe Su ~
ol0fmS nsnoI ICY U .ne
vpncc6 eenool ~ E IIss. nss. o> ~.
usof % ms@ socaaau co'uA
CfsG
And Creel tuad tAsm. thay SAY, raS
thsir stuff was not . violation OF the
law. Croel himself seys hs told them
~ haA no authority to act as censor
- Their magazine b01 inst ltS wnOie
~ IVES net IN accordance with the
sp4sit Of the law.
nvsn then they did not 10 to the
.nv.smmental departmepts which DC
vcsseaa lasai authority. Instead, the
nnhIiaher az The Naesss wrote an an1
inus ,fnevs dealer that he had "gone
sver The matter pretty thoroughly with
4 aaoree Creei de governments cen.
sorr and had nothing to fear.
uaA there been cooDeration between
INA departments. Creel could have
done no lese nan warn the proper
authorities that Tho Masses was hlled
vith ar4Solee vhoee whole tone waa
MT In aceordance With the spirit OF
sfhe iaM
Had thare been coordination, the
,asAileher. az The Masses could moi
heye mao Their inquiry of1cially to
~. Creel without ia being automat
4cailv hrourht ia thA attention. OF the
nroper densrtmSnAs.
X either case. had the masAz1ne
swsSa ths4r nnh,,cstion thoroushly &C
q AAee--~ sAASeA s>'.o ~ ~