Britain's Deadly Peril: Are We Told the Truth?Le Queux, William
History
Britain's Deadly Peril: Are We Told the Truth?
Le Queux, William
Secret service -- Germany; Spies; World War, 1914-1918
We have to bear in mind, in this connection, that the Press Bureau
had just been reorganised. Mr. F. E. Smith had resigned, on leaving
for the front, and _the Home Secretary was the Minister responsible
to Parliament for its conduct_. At his request the Press Bureau
endeavoured to prevent the _Globe_ continuing to criticise his action,
or rather inaction. Well indeed might the _Globe_ say: "We must reserve
to ourselves the right, at all times, to give expression to views on
Ministerial policy and even to dare to criticise the action of the Home
Secretary." And I venture to say that, but for the jealousy inherent
among British newspapers, the _Globe_ would have had the unanimous
support of every metropolitan and provincial journal, every single one
of which was vitally affected by the Home Secretary's preposterous
claim.
The claim of the country for fuller information has been expressed in
many ways, and by many people, and it has been admitted by no less a
personage than Mr. Asquith himself. In the House of Commons early in
September Mr. Asquith said the Government felt "that the public is
entitled to prompt and authentic information of what has happened at
the front, and they are making arrangements which they hope will be
more adequate."
That was months ago, and, up to the present, very few signs of the
"prompt and authentic information" have been perceptible.
Even more significant is the following passage from the latest
despatches of Sir John French, which covered the period from November
20th to the beginning of February:
"I regard it as most unfortunate that circumstances have prevented
any account of many splendid instances of courage and endurance, in
the face of almost unparalleled hardship and fatigue of war, coming
regularly to the knowledge of the public."
Now I do not want to read into Sir John French's words a meaning that
he did not intend to convey, but this passage certainly strikes me, as
it has struck many others, as a very definite plea for the presence at
the front of duly accredited and responsible war correspondents.
And why not? News could be still censored so that no information of
value could reach the enemy. We should not be prejudiced one iota, but,
on the other hand, should get prompt and trustworthy news, written by
skilled journalists in a fashion that would make an irresistible appeal
to the manhood of Britain. And we should be far nearer than we are
to-day to learning "the truth about the war."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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