Evening star., 1939-01-03

Ouuy Ne1DS. MT. SWOLnefS &C.
count is being published in three
tnstallmentS, OF uh,ch this is
the second)
BY FRANK SMOTHERS,
CHICAGO Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
PARIS, Jan. 3-Shortly after
reaching Rome in September, 1887,
was assured by an official of the
Ministry of Popular Culture that
there was mo restriction" on what
would write from Italy. The min
istry hoped. 1 was informed, that I
would be sympathetic to Italy"
But it wanted me to draw my own
conclusions. I was even told. in
the courtesy of that initial encoun-
ter, that the ministry would not see
many of my dispatches.
I suppose it was intended as a
honeymoon period The marriage
either would or it wouldn't work.
AS matter of fact Mussolini's S
agents did not prevent me or other
correspondents from sending what
we wished to send. Theoretically it
could have done so, but it would
have been difficult, unsatisfactory
process.
Most correspondents. including
myself, telephoned our dispatches.
telephoned almost all of mine to
Paris. In Paris they were taken
down on dictaphone and sent by
radiogram to America. Repeatedly,
by a metallic, hollow sound on the
phone, I knew that some one was
listening in. But. short of devising a
scheme whereby foreign correspond
ents could be prevented use of the
iong-distance phone except after
consultation with a censor, the stop
ping or censoring of such dispatches
would be tremendous task.
Phone Hampers Censors.
When dispatches are sent directly
by cable or radiogram, as from ia
pan, China and Russia, a small set
of censors can have all news dis
patches laid before them before they
are sent by the communications
companies. This is the system in
those countries. They cut or destroy
If they wish. But where it is feasible
at any moment to get Paris or Lon
don on the telephone, many news
censors would be necessary to cover
the calls of many correspondents.
Even if they did so, they could not
cut call without obviously mutilat-
ing the dispatch in question. Their
doing this would be dead give
away to the receiver that censorship
was imposed. Censors love the dark.
Moreover. the censor, If enraged
by one statement already received
at the other end of the line, never
would know whether the next pas
sage might not counteract, in great
er or lesser degree, the paragraphs
already out.
Thus I sent what I pleased. And
for several months I encountered no
attempt at interference. Then I dis
covered personally, as of course I
had always known from the expert
ences of other correspondents, that
the honeymoon words were far from
3actual.
In the spring of 1898 a series OF
warnings began.
"Unsympathetic Tone Cited.
On the very day, March II, when
the Germans were marching into
Austria, thereby destroying one of
the fundamentals of Italy's tradi-
tional foreign policy-an Austrian
buffer between the Brenner Pass
and the Reich-Guido Rocco, head
OF the foreign press section of the
Ministry of Popular Culture, found
time to complain of the past "un-
sympathetic tone of my dispatches.
I had gone to him for news on
Rome's official attitude to the Nazi
march. Two of my dispatches lay
before him, certain passages under
lined in red.
Referring to passage in which
I had written of the lack of general
Italian popularity for Italys inter-
vention in Spain, he declared that
all Italians are patriotic and want
to stop bolshevism in Spain"
He drew particular attention to
a phrase in which I said Italy's war
appeared unpopular save with pro-
fessional Fascists.'
There are no professional Fas-
cists," said Rocco, solemnly.
He asked if I were convinced that
I had written the truth. replied
that I was wholly convinced. He
asked whether I could not write
less" of such things and be more
sympathetic" replied that would
continue to write what I was con-
vinced was true.
Explanation of Action.
Rocco did not tell me why, on
that day of great crisis, when he
must have been extremely pressed
for time, he took time to complain
Of past dispatches. believe, how
ever, that I know the explanation.
On that day was falling the great
est blow Fascist policy had encoun-
tered in years.
Rocco doubtless knew that Italian
public opinion was greatly shaken,
despite Fascist statements that all
was well. He doubtless knew that
the chronicle of events in the for
eign press was going to be bad