THE NOME NUGGET
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photographic Censorship Explained
By Lieut. P. J. Ashloek. Ladd Field
i * ______________
The “Why?” behind military censorship on “harm
less” civilian photography fans was uncovered recent
ly before members of the Arctic Camera Club by
Lieut.. Paul J. Ashloek, Ladd Field post censor. Lieut
enant Ashloek addressed the club members at their
regular meeting in the Fairbanks High School. His
dscussion of photographic censorship follows:
Intention of Authorities
“It is not the intention of the military authorities
to stop the taking of pictures, or restrict it more than
necessary’. With the military it is easy to control. With
civilians it is a problem. Civilians as a whole do not
realize the seriousness of this war.
“This war. like the last one, is being fought on some
one else’s soil. Until one of our cities is bombed, the
people will see no reason to give up the little plea
sures they think are necessary to live. The taking of
pictures is one of those little pleasures. Why do peo
ple take pictures? Because pictures give you a last
ing record of an event. Because of this, pictures are
of great military importance.
Detailed Record
“A picture gives a detailed record of what the cam
era sees—something a verbal or written report will
not do. That is one of the reasons why we have cen
sorship—to keep one of these detailed reports from
falling into the hands of the enemy.
“Military intelligence has found that it is much
easier to keep the enelfcy from getting information—
than to prevent him frfr,^ using it, once he has it. The
military intelligence works on the theory that in
formation in any form might fall into the hands of
the enemy. Then comes a natural question—the en
cmy was free to get all the information about the
arnn posts before, why be so strict now?
Uncertain of Changes
“Because what he doesn't know is what changes
have h n made, both in construction and arming of
tiie posts. So long as the enemy isn’t sure of what you
have, then you have him worried and when he is wor
ried he makes mistakes. And when he is in doubt he
takes chances, stabs in the dark. It is these moves
on the small amount of information he has—that get
him into trouble..
“We will take an example: Fort Blank is a well
known air base. The Jap fleet comes within striking
distance of Fort blank, about 200 miles down the coast
and about 75 miles off shore. Their bombers with fight
cr escort take off to bomb blank. They have flown
about half way back after the bombing when out of
the blue comes our fighters.
Double Surprise
“These fighters are a surprise to them. They had
taken blank by surprise, caught all their planes on
the ground and their fighter planes had taken care of
any planes that did manage to get off the ground.
Several of the bombers are shot down before their
fighters can drive off or engage the attacking planes.
The rest of their bombers fly back to their carrier—
but there isn't any carrier. The fighter planes join
them and flv in circles, trying to locate the carrier.
Finally they run out of fuel and have to make a forc
ed landing in the sea. Bombers and fighters are lost,
because the enemy didn't know what changes had
been made.
Military Secret
'This \ what had happened: Air bases had been
hu t . vg the coast and their whereabouts kept a
secret by military censorship. While the enemy was
bombing blank our bombers had taken off from these
sect1! air bases and bombed their fleet, sinking or
damagir * some of it and causing the rest to run to
saw themselves. The returning planes had no place
to land and so were lost. That's why we have military
censorship? to keep information from the enemy. If
the military and civilian personnel that knew about
the building of these bases had talked or taken pictures
of them, the enemy would never have brought his
fleet in . o close to one of them. He know about blank
but he didn’t know that others had been built near
blank.
Dangerous Belief
“Tht average civilian will be the first to say. ‘the
picture 1 take will never fall into enemy hands.’ And
yet the developer could be an enemy agent, or one
of your best friend. It is a very 'simple method to
meet a camera fan 'pretend to be one yourself) and
see the shots he has taken and to talk him into tak
ing still more—of the kind you want. Like all col
let tors. camera fans delight in getting shots of mili
tary .nstaliat.un, bt cause they arc forbidden.
I lic*ir Own Medirine
While their light bombers svvceo across the Channel
in relentless daylight raids and their heavy craft take
great loads of explosives to German industrial cit'es
in the hours of darkness, the British aie also waging ,
a war of nerves, quite akin to what the Nazis wer? do
ing two years ago. Just now this c nisMs of 'real ig
ever more uncertainty in the German mind of what to
expect. Stabs by Commando forces in France. H dlanrl.
and Norway raise fears of invasion. And verbal war
fare adds to the tension.
A few days ago Sir Stafford Cripps told the Polish
people in a broadcast that they should “stand firm.!
for the hour to strike is near.” Meanwhile Labor Min
ister Ernest Bevin was warnng his own people against
demanding a great offensive prematurely, for that
might bring defeat instead of victory. But a Liberal,
M. P. was tolling a London meeting of sympathizers}
with the Soviet Union: “You will have vour second j
front this year.” Over in Wales a British naval ofr-cer I
told an audience that Commando raids should be bn A !
ed up with forces up to 10,000 men.
These are not secrets. They reach Germany dire tlv j
or through Sweden and Switzerland—as mav be in i
tended. The impact on Germans is bound to be un- j
nerving at a time when cities deep in Germany are |
being bombed on a scale fully equal to the attacks on i
London. Coventry, Southampton and Bristol in 1940
Germany is known to have diverted large numb rs j
of troops to Norway and others to th Baltic sbrro
close to embarkation ports for Scandinavia. T^o > eon’e
of Britanny have been warned by their Nazi rulers to ,
be ready for a state of siege, which can on!\ refU.t a
fear of invasion. Inevitably the striking power of the
Nazi Reich in Russia or in the. Eastern M-cdi terra re .r
is somewhat weakened by the fear of having to defend
the western shore of Europe. Br tain’s war of nerves
against the Nazis may not be decisive, but it certa nU
help.—Juneau Empire.
f
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"’OVT «TRFrr V'"1» Htnrh 44
I t
WILL ROGERS JR.,
ENLISTS IN ARMY
Los Angeles, June 20 —
Will Rogers, Jr., the son of
the late cowboy actor and
humorist, enlisted in the
United States Army as a
private, and left to the pen
pie of the 16th Congres
sional District the matter
of deciding whether he
should stay there.
Young Rogers is a candi
date for Democratic nomin
at ion for the congressional
seat now held by Republi
can Leland Ford. Said he:
“If that is so they can
prove it at the polls. Until
then I think it is my duty
to be in the armed forces.”
A group of 16th district
Republicans also plan to
file Rogers name on the
GOP ballot, in opposition
to Ford, in the August pri
mary.
I Rogers reached the rank
of second lieutenant in the
Reserve Officers Training
Corps while attending
Stanford University, but
said he preferred to enter
the Army as an enlisted
man. He is the publisher
of a newspaper at Beverlv!
Hills.
A War Department rul
ing will permit Rogers to
leave the Army to serve in
Congress if he should be el
ected.
Newspaper advertisinr
•vill develop new business
or vou.
Military Installations
“What is a military installs
I lion? A military installation is
anything built for use by the [
I armed forces.
Examples are: general emplace
ments. hangars, airplanes, bar
; racks, warehouses, and landing
fields.
“Then there are secondary in-!
stallations that are used by the j
; armed forces when theirs are do
| stroyod or damaged. These are:
; civilian airports, radio stations,
power plants, warehouses, hospit
I yls and manufacturing plants,
j Transportation facilities, roads
j and railroads, are important be
j cause of supplies.
"If pictures of these are allow
, ed to be taken and oniy one out
of a thousand falls into enemy
j hands, you have helped him."
‘NOX-STRATEGIC MATE IALS' CARGO PLANE
• 9
■wiixjt -rw -~vm «rn. * <y * ~'r-' i w,w -.smtumm «.»_
Here’s a sketch of a new military cargo tr nsport plane which the Curtiss-Wright
corporation ann<mnced it would build of wood and other “non-stratcgic mater
ials in a new plant “somewhere in Ken cU\." Designated as tne Curt ss C-7H,
the twin engined craft is to be about the i/e of metal transport planes used bv
domestic airlines.
ACTOR AT DAUGHTER'S WEDDINT
star. attended the wedding of his daurl.tor i .. is a7?‘s,,e Ho"ard (right), famed stage and film
—- K ,ll!> d->u«>ltfr. Leslie, and (apt. Dale Hatris near Dorking. England.
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