The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-22
CENSORSHIP TROUBLES
Ancient Code of Secrecy as to Mill
tary Operations Has Been
Pretty Well Exposed
as inefficient.
TBy United Press.l

today for keeping the war news, ave
nue. open to the public, by Marlen
I f. Pew. Pew was the director OF
/ the war department news bureau
during the war and has just returned
TO New York TO resume his work as
editor of the Editor and Publisher.
In his position at Washington he was
the chief channel whereby news from
the war department reached the pub
lie and was in close touch with the
entire censorship problem. For years
Pew was an active editor of daily
papers.
said: I
Nearly every army officer and
newspaper correspondent l have talk
ed with upon their return to Wash
ington from the front have been in
agreement as to the evil effects of
censorship as effecting the civil popu-
lation. The ancient code of secrecy
as to military operations has been
pretty well exposed as inefficient and,
in fact, reacting more against the
nation subscribing TO it than in the
interest of the enemy. / wildly re-
call a conversation with correspon-
dent of the United Press early last
summer upon his return from France,
after having visited nearly every sec
tor of the western front and after
four years almost continuous attach
ment to the armies OF both the CEN
trail powers and the allies. He had
motored from New York to Washing
ton and had inspected the tremen-
dous army, navy and shipping board
war production enterprises along the
seaboard. He told me of his amaze
mental the scope of these diversified
operations and exclaimed. I would
to God that I had Ludendorf with
me on that trip-Germany's war
plans would collapse tomorrow Sub
seQuent events, of course, proved
that the war plans of the central
powers did not take into account our
tremendous scheme of war and that
when Germany did understand our
military potentially. through contact
with the advance operations OF Per
shing's forces, she capitulated.
Censorship was trusted by the
allies, who were our military guides
in this war, as 2 means of prevent
ing the enemy from matching mill
tary plans and dtscounting them.
There is, OF course, an element of
advantage in that, but 1t has always
been question with me whether this
advantage was as important as the
positive advantage Of possessing the
complete eo-ordinated and faithful
support OF the civil population, which
is only possible as the people under
stand the plans and issues of the
war.
"As matter of fact the liberality
OF our government as 10 military cen
soTship has been unexampled in his
tory. We were successful with the
voluntary censorship the news
papers were their own best censors,
as far as that went Ny own opinion
is that they did not go far enough in
the acknowledgements, through publ
cation OF the tremendous scope and
detail. OF our war production On the
other hand some damage was done
through mistaken publicity. ! have
in mind such unauthorized and ridieu-
loEs publications as the demand for
q hundred thousand planes, 10 blast
Germany from the map This was
heroic talk, but II hurt the American
interest Il was never dreamed OF
as E possibility. Some forty men
we're required OF the ground for
every plane IN the air, hence 100000
OF 4.0g3,0G3 men az least Plane pro-
xperimsnlal-tt is today. II the
same newspaper space that went for
these absurd demands had been de-
yOted 10 z recital OF actual and poten-
uaL war production. civil morale
would have been stiEe1ed and il the
matter had leaked By any channel
into Germany, the effect would have
caused CONSERVATION, rather than
amusement Is the 100 1000 planes
story did, Judging from the accounts
OF German newspapers sent out as
propaganda by wireless from Nauen.
The attitude o. the war depart
ment has been 10 conserve the prin-
ciple OF cando- With the people,
through the press. except on news
agreed upon as obviously Of adYan-
tage to the enemy and real disadvan-
tage 10 our war cause For instance,
~ was plainly mistake 20 publish
troop movements overseas while the
German U-boat campaign offered z
possibility OF use OF, such inforna-
ton, though how, with ali cur watch
ful care, such information could leak
10 the enemy has never been clear
TO me. However. there vas q chance
IN 1t and no one wished 10 sponsor
such information, the newspapers in
cluded.
The right of the people TO know
, OF the conduct OF their business AZ
washington was met with the highest
ideallsm by the secretary of war.
Never was there an instance when.
SO far as the people OF the United
States We're concerned, he so much
as remotely suggested the suppress
sion OF unfavorable news or the erag
geration of favorable news. Nr
Baker however. did believe in cen.