Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-24

walking on the street below. An
other bus passed
They did not come back until we
were at dinner.
The Censorship
I found in Great Britain no
evidence to believe that we in
America had been either inten-
| tionally misled or confused or that,
considering all things, any unreal
sonable amount of news had been
withheld. The news that we don't
get is contemporary news of mill
tary operations or military or civil
ian damage in England. I use the
word contemporary" because it
appears the British policy to con-
firm any bad news several days
later.
Because it's important in under
standing news from abroad to
understand the filtering process
through which 1t passes, this chap
ter is piece about the British
censorship.
The censorship is Cd a policy and
co large body of partially trained
men to administer it, There Is no
such thing as "the Censor" The
head censor in London is an ex-
tremely charming and intelligent
ex-lawyer named Monckton, who
says, Il certainly never thought I'd
find myself in this job"
Hundreds of men work for him,
opening letters, reading cables be-
fore they're sent, blue-penciling
copy in newspaper Offices. His is
part of the larger organization of
the Ministry of Information, other
channels of which do such creative
propaganda as inspiring the film,
London Can Take It." writing
short-wave broadcasts to be trans
later into Arabic, etc.
Treatment Varies.
The treatment of newspaper copy
cabled from London varies enor-
mously with individual censors over
whose desks it passes, and CORE
| spondents for example, will change
from one cable company to another
| in order to do business with a more
understanding censor, each tele-
graph company having its own man
assigned to it from above.
! Chief Censor Monckton told me
and there's an abundance of evid-
ence that it's true-that the present
policy of the British government is
/ that the more truth it can let out,
the better, and that in this phase
of the war conservative. accurate
/ claims are simply the best policy.
When he used the phrase can let
out" what he meant was can let
out without aiding the enemy"
It's not Immediately apparent to
the layman how news can aid the
enemy until he has been on the field.
I admit to having been suspicious of
the vagueness in which cables about
| damage to London were worded-
suspicious that detail was omitted to
conceal more extensive damage than
was acknowledged.
Leaks Incur Danger.
Having been in London. now ad-
NIT that would not alter or cir
cumvent the censorship in this re-
spect even if I could. Because to
print in the paper next morning
where big bomb fell last night is,
OF course, simply to spot or mark
the accuracy of the bombing, for the
Germans. And that have no in
terest in doing. I admit also to hav-
ing entirely new ideas about posters
all over Britain sdmonishing civil
ians to keep their mouths shut
because information given to men
who are trying to kill you is suicidal
in the most literal sense.
have in these pieces am writing
avoided giving specific references
whenever I could imagine specific
references could aid and abet the
enemy war effort. I have not, for
instance, given the correct address
of the big shelters I visited, for the
obvious reason that there are maps
of London in Berlin.
Correspondents Defend 1t.
After I had been in London a few
days asked a dozen American cor
respondents to lunch, and we dis
cussed the censorship with no Eng
lish present. Not one of the Journal
lists there but had his or her in
ventory of gripes or complaints
about this or that Stllpiditvs As