GERMAN WARFARE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2274, 7 October 1914, Page 6

GERMAN WARFARE

A QUESTION OF UNDERSTANDING.

In order that the Australian publio may understand the nature of tho censorship which is .now beinj' exercised over tho transmission and publication of intelligence by telegraph and otherwise, the Commonwealth Minister of Defence has had a memorandum prepared, sotting out soino of the points. "Tho object of tho censorship," he says, "is to prevent the'enemy getting information of valuo to his operations, to stop tho circulation in this country of false reports, and to gather from all sources such information as is valuable to our floots and troops.

"Tho operation of censoring involves tho transmission of telegrams, and in some cases letters, through tho hands of the official censors who come on duty in regular reliefs or watches, and the work goes on night r.nd day. Censors are appointed from tho officers of the citizen foices, and are required to observe the strictest secrecy in respect to «11 documents in actual practice. These " '«. through their lmiids with :he

greatest speed, no notice being takfyi of any but such as deal with public matters. "Still, tjio censors are tho only authorities, to dccido which require or which do not require examination, and, therefore, all documents must bo stamped to show they have passed through their hands. "Whenever-it is thought necessary, letters have to be opened, too, and thousands of them, possibly. In order to attain the purposo in view, the label affixed with the words 'opened by censor' ■Jβ, intended to prevent any other person having an opportunity to peruse tho enclosure. Press censor-ship goes a littlo further.. There are many things which arc known in certain localities or to certain individuals, and winch cannot bo kept absolutely secret, but the general dissemination of such information to other places aiid to the public at large may facilitate the work of the enemy's spies and render possible, through neutral places, a fairly complete s5 - etem of espionage. All these matters have considerable value at the time, and in proportion to their importance lose value as time goes on. The most important have, therefore, as a rulo to be with-' held the longest from the press. "In waj-timo the troops report what bodies of the enemy they have met, and send in to the higher commanders, even such email evidence as buttons, badges, or equipment left by the enemy. From these can be inferred the,names « the enemy's units, their strength, and, therefore, the total hostile fore© in that part of the country. So-also do spies work, and their whole success depends upon the co-ordination of small facts, each harmless in itself. "For this reaeon, therefore, tho Dofenco Department here, as well as in the whole Empire, has found it necessary to make demands upon the patience of the community, and trust in their loyal support of their representatives, and censors."