LORD NORTHCLIFFE ON WAR PROBLEMS

Evening Star, Issue 16529, 14 September 1917, Page 8

LORD NORTHCLIFFE ON WAR PROBLEMS

CENSORSHIP AND NATIONAL EFFORT.

The New York newspapers gave much prominence to the informal address by Lord Northcliffe at Mr Marcosson's luncheon on June 28, in the course of which he said :

I hope that the United States will not make the censorship blunder that England made, and which is just becoming an evil of the past. England was kept in the dark for nearly three years. People were blinded by the fatuous optimism of soldiers and politicians, who, while efficient in peace, were incompetent in war. People were not permitted to know the truth, and when the truth finally emerged out of costly blunders and sacrifices they were loth to accept it. I hope America may permit her newspapers and magazine writers to be absolutely frank about what is going on. It is as important for the nation to know the worst as it is for the nation to know the best. For one thing—and we have found this from actual experience^ —it is a' great stimulus for the men fighting in the field to be sure that the country* they are fighting for knows precisely what they are doing. Every man with a pen in his hand and a printing press near by can do patriotic service to liis country by awakening his people to the fact that this war is just beginning, and that every ounce of energy, every revolution of America's vast industrial machine, and, what is equally important, every gallon of gasolene, will be needed in order to bring the war to a successful end. It is only by the absolute mobilisation of man-power and machinepower that the war can be won. Industries that at this moment seem remote from mobilisation for war will sooner or later be called upon to do their part. In Europe, for example, one of the largest corset factories is now turning out very delicate pieces of machinery needed in the construction of aeroplanes. The effect of the war on American magazines, I believe, will be that certain kinds of advertising must necessarily be reduced. I am told in the instances of the most widely read periodicals that nearly half the advertising comes from automobile companies.. The war, which has proved the efficacy of motor transport to an almost incredible degree, will make a tremendous drain upon the automobile industry of your country. The great bulk of the automobile output will have to be concentrated on trucks. Automobile factories will inevitably be commandeered for the manufacture of aeroplane parts and aeroplane construction generally. In the aeroplane lies one great hope of allied victory. The war has taught that the aeroplane engine of the spring may be almost useless for actual fighting next autumn, so rapidly are developments produced by the fierce competition of war. When America has got her full stride in the war, as surely she will get it, it will be found that there will be a tremendous demand for chauffeurs. England to-day has nearly 100,000 motor trucks in France, and. is constantly sending more. Every one of these trucks must be manned by a skilled .driver. If skilled chauffeurs can be sent to operate your trucks it will be possible to release an equal number of men for the fighting lines. It will mean the end of joy riding. England stopped this favorite outdoor sport a good while ago, and I am sure that when America wakes up to the tremendous realisation of what this war means she will do likewise. I have a strong conviction that with peace will come a close federation of the nations who are now fighting the great fight for freedom. It will be the only inj 6urance against the autocracy that made J this war possible and against the horrors : that the armies of the autocrat have peri petrated on innocent non-combatants. The I world must be made free for democracy.