New-York tribune., 1919-05-16
All Written and Printed
Matter To and From Eu-
rope Sifted by Customs
and Postoffice Officials
Only Military Ban Lifted
Collector Newton Regrets
Rule Has Not Been Ex-
tended to u. S. Papers

Two distinct censorships--
eXclusive-pass on every bit of written
OF printed matter that enters the
United States from Europe or leaves
it, One, operated by the Postoffice
Department, censors all mail The
second, conducted by the Customs
Division OF the Treasury Department.
passes on all written or printed matter
not sent by mail. The customs censor
ship on printed matter to or from
Central and South America was lifted
Saturday.
The Custom House at New York is
exercising its censorship and will con-
tinue to sift all matter carefully for
an indefinite period, according to Byron
R. Newton, Collector of the Port of
New York.
Mr.. Newton is positive there is
definite need for strict censorship now,
a view not shared by F. NJ Halstead.
chief of the Division Of Customs of
the Treasury Department., who is in
the city attending a conference of ap-
pralsers and collectors at the Custom
House
Newton Regrets Limit on Censor
When Mr.. Newton had read the ac-
count in yesterdays Tribune of the
examination of all papers brought
from Europe by Elias Tobenkin. The
Tribune's accredited correspondent,
he said:
i want to congratulate The Tribune
upon letting me know of the thorough
ness, efficiency and ability with which
our men are doing their work. NV one
regret is that the government has not
extended, rather than curtailed, its
censorship so that 1t could suppress
such stuff as this"
Here Mr.. Newton read an extract
from the leading editorial in "The
Nation entitled "The Madness at
Versailles" as follows:
I'm place of these helpful things
OF which patriots had dreamed of. and
whlch the peoples of the world for
one brief moment imagined they
were about to grasp, there has heen
ARROGANT
and self-sutficient autocracv of five
great powers, two of which are prac-
tlcally at the mercy of the other
three; an autocracy owning no au
thorlty save its own will, deliberat
ing IN secret. parcelling out priyi
leges and territory as best serves its
own interests, turning a deaf ear to
protests and closing its eyes to facts
observing no sounder principles than
those of political compromise, and
ordering all things by its own self
centred notions of how the peoples
may best be controlled 1t is this
Versallles autocracy which, i'll crush
ing Germany as world power, has
itself assumed the role of world
dictator. That it is vindictive as
we'll as powerful, that it's resources
are immense, and that it intends to
have its way with the peoples and
their aspirations, no one now need
cherish any doubt whatever. Prog
ress henceforth is TO go by favor,
and the favor will be that of the
big three"
when Oswald Garrison Willard can
publish such stuff as that I deeply
regret that the government has not
and that | have not the power to cen
sor his preachments, Mr.. Newton de-
clared.
"The Collector of Customs has since
the war began, under the provisions of
the espionage act and the trading with
the enemy act. exercised general
supervision as control officer of this
port. | haven't felt it necessary to
"It is as il Dickens had spoken by
means of the camera-ns If Pierre Lott
Or Victor Hugo had Joined forces with Mr.
L,riffitt in Broken Blossoms "-Eve
Telegram. Geo. VI. Cohan Theatre.-Advt