Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-06-12
BY CYRIL BROWN.

cateu by some StdllStlcs VI oui ih''A
1ary censorship which in turn Is only
one of the numerous activities of G-2
section of the Third army, functioning
unostentatiously but effectively under
the direction of Col. r. Ii. Williams,
chief of military intelligence of the
army of occupation. This interesting
department alone employs the services
of 81 officers, Is field clerks and 2oS
clerks, while Colonel Williams expects
that at least 200 men more will be
needed in order to achieve the ideal OF
thOrOughneSS.
The work of our military censorship
in keeping prudent watch on the
mail, telegraph and telephone when
used by the German population has
reached mammoth proportions only
because of our broad-minded, liberal
policy toward the Germans. Not mo-
tivated by altruism. but by common
sense economic reasoning, the Ameri-
can military policy has from the very
start been, and continues to be, to
grant the natives the utmost limit OF
liberty of communication consistent
with our naturally supreme military
Interests.
Allowed Notable Freedom.
The basic idea of our military
forinulators Of policy has been that
the less the Germans are hampered
in the free use of the mails, telegraph
and telephone and. in consequence, the
less they are economically shackled,
the better will be the economic life of
the American occupied area and the
greater will be the chance for every
German in it to earn an honest living.
1t is not in our best military inter-
est to have the economic life Of this
American oasis in Germany throttled.
nor to wake up some fine morning
with pauper population on our
hands. The healthier the economic
life of the area, the more smoothly
will our occupation function.
The practical result of this general
policy is that the Germans in our
aera Of occupation enjoy freedom in
the use Of the mails, telegraph and
telephone to degree not enjoyed by
their fellow Teutons In either the
French. British or Belgian areas.
Germans in our area may send let
tiers. including registered mail and
special delivery letters, also parcels
post matter, to unoccupied Germany
as well as to the French, British and
Belgian occupied areas. Similarly
4 in,
matter from unoccupied Germany and
the other occupied areas.
They may send kilograms to unoc-
cupied Germany and the other occu.
pied areas, and may likewise receive
kilograms from unoccupied Germany
and the other unoccupied areas.
Most liberal Of all, Germans in the
American area may communicate by
telephone with unoccupieda Germany
and the other unoccupied areas.
The simple common-sense general
rule of our military censorship merely
bans everything detrimental to our
interests or those of our allies. If they
mind their own business and don't at
tempt to violate this simple, reason
able rule, Germans in the American
area may go as far as they like in the
use of the mails, telegraph and tele.
phone.
Our military censorship is on the
Job twenty-fOur hours of the twenty
four and Military Intelligence" I'M
der the direction of Colonel Williams,
watches, like an Unconditional hawk to
See that no Teuton gets away with
anything against the interests of
America and the allies; but beyond
this the square deal spirit Of justice
and tolerance which animates the
American brand of occupation crops
out in the military censorship in a
very human way-paradOxically, too.
since censors are not generally
credited with being human. Our COM
potent military authorities are proud
not only of the fact that the censor
ship is effective In safeguarding our
legitimate interests, but that 1t does SO
with the irreducible minimum of delay
and hardship to the Germans If they
don't attempt to abuse our square-deal
policy.
Long Distance Phone.
Most interesting, perhaps, Is the
long distance telephone proposition.
Germans In Coblenz today can talk
with Berlin-if the bolshevki will let
them. If the operator here can't get
Berlin or Munich or Dresden 1t won't
DC the fault of the American army of
occupation.
When our army first occupied Cob
LEM all long distance trunk telephone
lines out of COblenz, sixteen Of them,
were Immediately cut as a self-under-
stood military measure. Colonel Will
lians then let II be known that, sub.
ject to our censorship, certain mum.
Der OF long distance telephone trunk
lines would be permitted to resume
business for such legitimate Teuton con-
versa tons as might be required by the
needs of the community. And he left
1t to the Germans themselves to decide
which long distance telephone lines
they wanted to use most, and put 1t up
to the municipal authorities and the
chamber of commerce and the Ger
man business community generally.
The Germans requested that five
trunk lines be reopened for public use
as being most essential to business;
aud this request was complied with.