with the statement that the request to the Press
not to describe the weather was one of the
most foolish of our restrictions. The reason
attributed to Lord Northcliffe for this opinion is
worth citing, because it illustrates a very common
fallacy about the Press in war-time. It was
absurd, he Is reported as saying, not to allow full
weather reports in our Press, because " the
Germans are provided with meteorological instru-
ments that have never failed them to define
the weather either here or in France." How
did he know ? That the Germans had a well
equipped meteorological department is true ; that
it was never at fault is incorrect. The fact that
the enemy were keen to know things, and that
they had some means of getting to know them,
was a reason not for helping them out and
supplementing their own information, but for
precisely the contrary course. But this is an
aspect of the true principles of censorship which
will be considered more fully under our next
head. The teaching of right reason in the
matter is summed up in Mr. Balfour's dictum
already cited : " Let us learn what we can from
the enemy ; let us teach him only what we must."

(B).—-That there should be a general presumption
in favour of publication.
