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  Ah, for post 19 - it was to be shown that censorship is never complete. The Press did indeed publish accounts of the strange incident near Farthingloe farm, and other such matters, but were careful not to be too specific. Those of us who are old enough will remember the reports that even reached the Nationals, about the "Cave Kids" in Dover.
  
  Reporters could only use the word "Cave" as they hadn't the concept at that time of the cosy, well-excavated hobbit holes; the definitive account, "The Hobbit", while published, wasn't generally available until around 1949. The official reason given for this was paper shortage and rationing during the Second World War.
  
  Of interest is that Tolkien turned down a salary as a codebreaker during that war - there are those who would theorise that he may have had a better offer simply to remain silent on what he knew. If so, doubtless this would have been to ensure that a country under threat would continue to report and investigate any unexpected or unusual events, and not attribute them merely to movements of the "little folk".

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