Evening star., 1942-08-08

support and occupation forces. This
was a conventional naval lineup.
Some of Surmises Arose
From Own Expert knowledge.
According to Johnston, some of
the Surmises arose from his own eX-
pert knowledge. Some came by a
process of elimination because of the
known Jap losses in the Coral Sea
and some from discussions he had
with officers of various navies, with
experts everywhere, including James
Fighting Ships" and lastly with
those on the naval transport which
carried them back home after the
aircraft carrier Lexington plunged
beneath the waves.
After the story was published, the
Bureau of Censorship made an in
quiry into whether the Tribune had
violated the voluntary code and
found the paper guiltless But Sec
retary Knox's Navy persisted in its
complaint.
Suddenly the Department of JUS
tice appeared on the scene. This
was the same branch of the Gov
ernment which earlier this year
mustered out "G-men" from its
Federal Bureau of Investigation to
invade the Offices of newspaper ed
itors and try to coerce them into
granting the Associated Press serv-
ices to a new pro-administration
organ in Chicago. Here was the
golden opportunity for jumping on
the Tribune the administration had
been looking for.
William De Witt Mitchell, former
United States Attorney General,
now practicing law in New York
City, was retained by the Depart
ment of Justice to handle the case.
The administration allowed de-
tails of the case to leak out of it.
principal newspaper apologists ane
to Waiter Winchell, gossip monger
radio commentator and anothel
apologist for the Washington regime
Despite the et-the-Tribune" as
poets of the case, J. L. Maloney
Tribune managing editor, volun
tarily went to Washington and ap
peared before Navy officials on Jul,
9 to make a statement on the fact
; surrounding publication of the stor
, and to submit to any questions tn
. admirals wanted to put to him.
| Maloney gave his testimony in tn
presence of the following: Vice Ad
miral Russell Wilson, chief of sta1
| to the commander in chief of tn
, United States Fleet; Admiral Ernes
j. King, Rear Admiral Theodore s
, Wilkinson, chief of naval intelli
: gence; Capt. Carl F. Holden, Offic
, of Chief of Naval Operations; Cap
Harold c. Train, Office of Chief c
: Naval Operations; Arthur Scar
, Henning, chief of the Washingto
bureau of the Tribune, and Mitchell
= representing the Justice Department
Through his experience in the las
War, Maloney was familiar with in
formation which might be useful t
an enemy. He was in the service 2
e months in the World War, spent
: months overseas, most of which We
t with the famous squadron CON
manded by Capt. Eddie Kicker
: backer.
Malcney Calls Call for Probe
RI COURAGEOUS and Ridiculous"
# Maloney characterized the callir
of a grand jury to investigate Johr
# ston and the Tribune story Of June
as Outrageous and ridiculous" Nj
, lonev declared the Tribune had scrl
d pulously observed censorship regl
: lations despite the favoritism show
- by Secretary of the Navy Frar
W Knox toward his own Chicago new
= paper property.
In spite of repeated injustic
visited upon the Chicago Tribune
Frank Knox, Secretary Of the Nav
=. - in his efforts to favor his ChicaI
II newspaper" said Maloney, 1.-The Tri
une has meticulously refralned,
y both it's news columns and editoria
~ ~ from printing anything that eth
W reflected unfavorably upon the Ma
or might aid the enemies OF tt
l. Navy.
IN so careful is the Tribune
le observing the rules of voluntary ce
Sc sorship that the record has be-
eo repeatedly commented upon by bo
le and Navy officers to whom stori
are submitted" Maloney assertt
I'd He added this newspaper had be
n told frequently that "if all new
at papers were as careful as the Tribu
e. there would be little necessity
ed censorship"
AS The thought that Stanley Johr
e- ton would offer information to t
he Tribune for publication which wol
er. be of use to the Nations enemies
~ as outrageous and ridiculous as
- charge that the Tribune would
"a did print such information S
~ Maloney.
-. Johnston joined the Austral
"' Army at the age of 14l2 in
World War I. He was through
ne battle of Britain as an observer
ne the Tribune. Johnston would 500
Led cut off his right arm than give
ee- formation to the enemy
Led Recently we have learned t
its Johnston has been recommended
De- a bravery citation for his valor
the battle OF the Coral Sea. We
ob- not learn this from Johnston, Y
He spent six days in close touch "
md Tribune executives without m
te- tioning the recommendation.