The army behind the armyPowell, E. Alexander (Edward Alexander)
History
The army behind the army
Powell, E. Alexander (Edward Alexander)
United States. Army; World War, 1914-1918 -- United States
Owing to the peculiar position of the United States and its distance from
the actual battle-front, about 95 per cent of its postal-censorship work
was negative in character and only 5 per cent positive, these terms,
“negative” and “positive,” being used in the same sense as they applied
to other activities of Military Intelligence. By far the greater part of
the mail that required censorship was of a nature which might have caused
social unrest, labor troubles, or even rebellion in this country. Only
a comparatively small number of letters were intercepted which brought
positive information concerning the plans of the enemy or of neutrals. In
studying this positive information it was necessary for the censors to
keep constantly in mind the fact that the enemy intentionally permitted
false information to be sent out, which, were it taken at its face value,
might lead us to alter our plans or to relax our efforts. For periods of
two or three months, perhaps longer, immediately preceding each of the
great German offensives, there trickled into the offices of the censor
scores of letters depicting in heartrending terms the social unrest and
the appalling food conditions in the Fatherland.
Early in 1918 the United States, following the example of France and
England, established large chemical laboratories in New York and
Washington, where thousands of letters were subjected to tests for
invisible ink. The usual letter-paper which is used for communications in
invisible ink can be given minor tests without altering its appearance.
These preliminary tests are for the purpose of ascertaining whether the
paper has been moistened or subjected to other treatment preparatory to
the use of invisible ink. In case the minor tests show the paper has
received some unusual treatment, a major test is given which results in
developing any invisible writing, though it at the same time affects the
texture and color of the stationery so that it is impossible to restore
it to its original appearance. Practically all mail to or from persons
on the suspect lists kept by England, France, and the United States was
subjected to such examination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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