CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS, a regulation subjecting books, pamphlets and newspapers to the examination of certain civil, military or ecclesiastical officers, who are em to authorize or forbid their publica tion. Such a regulation was suggested by Plato,. and an informal censorship existed in the times of Greece and Rome. After the Roman Catholic Church acquired a share in the civil power it induced the state to condemn heretical books. Throughout the Middle Ages it sanctioned the principle that books objected to by its authorities should be suppressed. The invention of printing and the increasing num ber of books called forth new and stricter pre scriptions of censorship, and copies of books printed in 1479 and 1480 are accompanied with solemn approbations and attestations in their favor. Finally, in 1515, the Council of the Lateran, assembled at Rome, decreed that in future no books should be printed in any town or diocese unless they were previously inspected and carefully examined by the bishop of the diocese or his deputy, or by the inquisitor of the diocese or his deputy, or if at Rome, by the Pope's vicar and the master of the.sacred palace. Every work which was approved was to be countersigned by the hand of the censor, and any publication not thus countersigned was to he burned and its author or editor excom municated. See INDEX LIBRORUM PROH RUM.
In countries where the Reformation pre vailed, the censorship was not abolished. Licensers of books were appointed in England, who were for the most part bishops. A gen eral system of censorship was established by a decree of the Star Chamber, dated 11 July 1637, which was later confirmed by an act of Parliament. It was against. this act that Milton
wrote his great plea for freedom of the press, the but the censorship was not abolished until 1693.
Censorship of the press existed under the old French monarchy. It was abolished at the Revolution, but revived under Napoleon I and again under Napoleon III. Except in Russia and Germany, where it is still in force, sys tematic censorship of the press may be said scarcely longer to be maintained in European Christian countries. In the United States there has never been such a censorship, al though there are laws against publications of a scandalous character; there are various State laws against libel and a government censorship in the Philippines.
In times of war strict censorship of the press is exercised to prevent the publication of information that might be useful to the enemy. The operations of the British Press Bureau during the great European War were the sub ject of much bitter criticism and frequent de bate. It was stated that Sir Edward Cook and Sir Frank Swettenham were joint directors of the Press Bureau for which, however, the Home Secretary was responsible. It was further ex plained that the actual censorship was super vised by the military and naval authorities and that the Press Bureau was only responsible for permitting publication. The most spectacular act of censorship undertaken by the military authorities and confirmed by the Home authori ties was the suspension of the London Globe from 6 Nov. to 22 Nov. 1914.