The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-29
Performed Great Service in
Guarding Allies Interests
During War.
THNART MANY FOE SCHEMES
British Official Expuneed "Lord OF
Hosts" From Lloyd Georges Speech
as Kaiser's "Aid de Camp"
Smuggling Prevented.

ing the way of the telegraph and cable
censorship-out. Judging from criti-
cisms in America, such as that of the
Merchants association to the postmas-
ter general, the going Of this war in
stitution will be just as %joyously well
coined abroad as in England. But
whatever the petulance of those who
think war restrictions have held over
toe long, the postal censor, in the opin-
ion of those who have watched his
work from the viewpoint of British and
has been of the greatest service in
defeating Germany.
The nearness of the date of the de-
mise of this institution has called forth
considerable information about its
work. Thus far, however, there has
been no amusing side such as was
shown during the obsequies for the
cable censorship.
Just after Mr.. Lloyd George succeed
ed Lord Kitchener as secretary for
war it is related that he provided the
ammunition for the censor to give the
photographers a lease on war life. Mr..
Lloyd George went to Bramshott to
bid good by to a Canadian division
about to cross the channel. After
the inspection he made a speech from
his motorcar, concluding with a quo
tation from the Bible: "And may the
Lord of Hosts be with you" Core
spondents who sent their dispatches
first to the censor were surprised to
find the final words of the secretary
running in this fashion: "And may
---- be with you" 1t
was amusing, but also serious, In the
minds of the news writer's, so they
protested. However, they got their re-
My from the cens6r's department:
"The kaiser. having claimed the Lord
as his aid-de-camp, no reference must
he made to the Divinity In this connec-
tion."
Enemy Schemes Thwarted.
AS / said, the postal censorship has
as yet turned up no morsel OF rela-
tive c~hoiceness. The postal censor
ship, however, has thwarted many en-
envy schemes that make just as in
teresting or more interesting read
ing. Furthermore, the British postal
censorship was a much farther reach
Ing organization than was attempted
in America, simply because England
was the channel through which virtu-
ally all questionable mail matter flowed.
dam which held the flood of continental
mail until each portion of 1t could be
passed upon and approved before be-
ing scattered over the wide world.
An idea of the immensely of the task
can be obtained from the fact that a
staff of nearly a hundred expert lin
gusts was constantly employed to ex-
anime and approve mail matter writ
ten and printed In more than a hum
dred languages and dialects. Manu-
scripts in every conceivable tongue
found their place In this great mass
of mail, estimated at about 10000 let
tiers daily.
Much of the mail was passed with
only mechanical inspection, so sure did
the examiners become of certain cate
gories of communications. But con
siderable more thar the time saved on
harmless mail was consumed in ex'
haustive examination and tests OF
questionable matter, some of which
was subjected to all manner of acid
and X-ray inquiry to detect hidden
messages.
Smuggling Prevented,
There was also for a time a grea'
smuggling campaign, harmless lookinl
bundles such as newspapers contain
ing various commodities then obtain
able in enemy countries. such as cof
fee, rice, tobacco, sugar. and so on
Some ever contained rubber hiddtn be
tween the pages of the papers.
The most-sought-after evidence was
:. that of military character, and the
censorship of mails more than repait
, its expensive outlay in detecting In
: formation that might have wrough
, havoc with allied arms, or at leas
helped Germany in no uncertain de
gree. There Is little doubt that non,
, of that character of information which
a the censorship obtained will be mad
public, but officials directing Britain
war machines have not been slow to sa,
that thanks to the postal censorship
much valuable military information, o
every conceivable character, came +
their attention.
] Propaganda was the greatest an
most constant effort Of the Germans
The most harmless appearing sets Q
newspapers and magazines, some o
them with covers dated before tn
war, dispatched from neutral nation
a to individuals or societies, such as SCI
! entific organizations, were often foun'
= to contain the latest German accuse
: lions Of British mismanagement |
], Egypt, India or ireland. Books, not a
ways In German, were found to cor
tain everything except what the It'll
!, proclaimed. The postal censorship t.
: day possesses an intensely interestin
museum OF many Of the propagand
: carriers the Germans sent out, Q
= caused to be sent out from their agent
: In neutral countries.
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