Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-18
Censorship
Plan in War
Shaping Up
No Direct Curb on Press
Visioned. However
BY PAUL MALLON

censorship in war is taking shape
in discussions among government
officials and newsmen. The dis
cussions started seriously only
last week. No methods have
been agreed on. but it is possible
TO report the program is head
ing toward the following outline:
There is to be no direct GEN.
sorship of newspapers. but there
will be a censorship of news at
the source. Army and navy pub
licity is TO be autonomous, not
under an overall counterpart of
the fatal British ministry of
information.
The British, you remember,
started off with a bottleneck
central news dispensing agency.
1t merely stopped all news, good
and bad. inspiring suspicion
among the people. 1t was soon
moderated.
A central propaganda agency
is likely to be set up along the
lines of the 1917 Creel commit
tee. Its job will be to tell how
good we are, how bad the enemy
is; why bonds should be bought,
ETC.. but presumably it is not
to lay its hand on news.
DUNNING. it. no doubt, will
IL be Lowell Mellett, the Presi-
dents administrative assistant.
While Mr.. Mellett always denies
knowle dye of censorship or
propaganda on all public occa-
sions, he always shows up where
such questions are seriously pre-
s2nted. He, unquestionably, will
be the powerful propaganda fig
ure. officially or unofficially.
Newspapers will be free to
print what they can find out.
Editorial criticism of the gov
eminent will naturally not be
suppressed. but any one publish
ing information of value to the
enemy TROOP movements, fleet
positions) is likely to be de-
nounced by some government
official, possibly the President.
as unpatriotic. There will be no
blank columns in the newspapers
here as in France. =
This sounds like a fair demo-
cratic outline for the problem,
if it is fairly and democratically
(nonpartisanly) administrated.
GENERAL ROOSEVELT asso-
~ ciates expect his fiery speech
without fireside, at the White
House Correspondents Associa-
ton dinner, to become immortal.
1t put the credo of this current
vital government enterprise out
on the table. fully, bluntly, emo
tionally. 1t is to be the march
ing song for the about clash
with Hitlerism.
The speech did not represent
opinions newly reached by the
President. He was saying the
same thing in private months
ago. even before election. This
merely represented the first
polite opportunity for him to
pull out all the stops and speak
his mind fully.
ONE of his bureau heads COM
" mented:
HE told me the same thing
six months ago. did not agree
then. but / do now"
Others. who have not changed
their mind. nevertheless, agree
that the question of whether the
President is right. is obsolete.
The only question that mat
ters now is whether he will win
in his course whatever its scope
proves ultimately to be.
Failure would plunge the
country into economic and finan-
cial disasters which would de-
stroy our standard of living for
generations. Victory may cost
us dearly in lives, resources,
comfort, money and debt. but it
will carry hopes and prospects.
Failure would despairingly en-
slave the nation in unbreakable
economic chains. He cannot be
allowed TO lose.
CIO has been mutterinC soto
~ voce against the Presidents
labor co-ordinator. Sydney Hill
man. causing considerable
trouble for him in working out
the federal mediation board plan
(outlined in last Thursdays
column
CLOS Phil Murray fatty re-
iected an idea that the board
be put under Hllman. APP
parently Go has been rufrled
because Hillman encouraged
some contractors to sign "a
closed shop with ALL ("forced
them to sign. even in some
cases where ALL did not have
union" is the way some
ClOers put it,
The army is quietly slipping
a psychologist into each regi-
ment. TO hear the troubles of
the boys. keep a line on morale.
They picked up the tip from
Hitler. but modified it consid-
erably. He has two trained
psychiatrists TO each Nazi regi-
ment.
Distributed by King Features synd.. Inc