forbidding are constantly appearing in the newspapers--the reading
of which is thus absolutely necessary if one would avoid friction
with the authorities.

In a free Press, like that of the United States or Great Britain,
the truth on any question of public interest is reasonably certain
to come to light sooner or later. Competition is keen, and if one
paper does not dig up and publish the facts, a rival is likely to
do so. The German Press was gaining a limited degree of freedom
before the war, but that has been wiped away. As in other
belligerent countries news of a military nature must quite properly
pass the censor. But in Germany, unlike Great Britain, for
example, all other topics must be written in a manner to please the
Government, or trouble ensues for the writer and his paper. To a
certain extent the Press is a little unmuzzled during the sittings
of the Reichstag--not much, but somewhat, for the reports of the
Reichstag proceedings are strictly censored. The famous speech of
Deputy Bauer in May, 1916, was a striking example, for not a word
of his speech, the truth of which was not questioned, was allowed
to appear in a single German newspaper. The suppression of most of
Herr Hoffmann's speech in the Prussian Diet in January, 1917, is
another important case in point. This is in striking contrast to
the British Parliament, which is supreme, and over whose reports
the Press Bureau has no control. The German Press Bureau, on the
other hand, revises and even suppresses the publication of
speeches. When necessary, it specially transmits speeches by
telegram and wireless to foreign countries if it thinks those
speeches will help German propaganda.

The Berlin and provincial editors are summoned from time to time to