Frank I. Cobb to Colonel House

The World,New York.August 2, 1917.

You must pardon the delay in sending you a copy of the draft of the challenge to the Tageblatt. The Weather is too much for me; when I finish my regular work, there is no energy left. I shall get it out for you in a day or two.

In the meantime, may I again renew my suggestion that this would be a proper occasion for the President to straighten out the censorship tangle in Washington. Privately, Creel is hopelessly discredited. Personally, I like him very much but that does not change the situation. The newspaper correspondents distrust him. They have no respect for him. They are suspicious of everything that he gives out, and, therefore, are stradily working at cross purposes with the Government. It would be much better to separate the censorship and the publicity, which can be easily done. If an army officer and navy officer are put in charge of the censorship of news, no trouble will be experienced in my opinion. So far as I can find out, the correspondents and the news editors are perfectly willing to rely upon the judgment of army and navy officers in these matters but, I am writing this to you in strict confidence. I haven't said anything to the President about it, but I think you ought to know it.
(Signed) Frank I. Cobb.Colonel E. M. House,Magnolia, Mass.