Censorship regulations went into effect on this day in 1917. It was World War I, and Vermont newspapers were reporting that the government had concerns about enemies obtaining strategically useful information.

In response, a committee on public information drafted regulations for newspapers. The regulations asked all American newspapers to refrain from printing anything deemed potentially useful to enemy forces for the purpose of infiltrating the war efforts of America.

No laws were actually passed regarding censorship, since the committee believed the American press would abide by the regulations voluntarily.

Image courtesy UVM's Bailey - Howe Special Collections.