Evening star., 1942-10-04

In a letter to President Roosevelt
made public last night a group of
washington newspapermen protest.
ed against what they consider the
excessive. and harmful restrictions
placed on news coverage" of his re-
cent coast-to-coast tour.
The newspapermen said they were
disturbed at what appears to be "a
creeping censorship" and asked re
consideration of this policy as it
might apply to any situation in the
future"
Their letter, delivered to the
White House for the Chief Execu-
tive before he returned Thursday
from the tWo-week tour. referred
specifically to the restrictions which
permitted fist-hand coverage of the
trip only by representa- atives of the
three press association and pre-
vented publication of any news about
it until it was over.
Explanation Requested.
In a previous letter of inquiry to
Presidential Secretary Stephen T.
Early, Censorship Director Byron
Price and Office of War Information
Director Elmer Davis, the newspa-
permen had asked an explana ton Of
these restrictions.
Mr. Roosevelt was informed that
replies from those three men CON
tain no convincing statement to
show that the security of the Presi-
dent required complete suppression
Of all news about the tour until after
its completion and no explana-
ton whatsoever" Of why accredited
correspondents of individual news
papers were denied access to the
first-hand news of the tour.
Mr., Prices reply explained that
his office was not responsible for the
latter restriction, and at some length
expressed my view that the delay
in publication of any news about
the trip until the President had re-
turned to Washington and the White
House released it was necessary.
Referred to White House.
Mr.. Davis merely informed the
neWspapermen that their memoran-
dunn deals with a matter of great
importance which I am referring to
the White House"
The letter of inquiry to Messrs.
Early, Price and Davis pointed out
that "all of us are concerned" with
protecting the security of the Pres
| ident and all national interests in
the war" and conceded the desir-
ability Of nothing being published
in advance about Mr.. ROOSEVELT S
itinerary and the probable need for
some delay in publication of day
by day accounts of his trip"
Text of Letter to President.
Text of the letter to the Presi-
dent follows:
Dear Mr.. President:
"On September % a group OF
Washington newspapermen sub
mitted written inquiry to Mr.
Stephen T. Early, Mr.. Byron Price
and Mr.. Elmer Davis. regarding
what we consider to be excessive and
harmful restrictions placed on the
news coverage of your current coast
to-coast tour.
"All of us are concerned as Amer
lean citizens with the success of the
war effort and with protecting the
security of the President of the
United States and all national in
| tereStS in the war. We do not queS-
ton in the least the desirability OF
keeping your itinerary secret and OF
taking every other precaution that
would be effective. once the tour was
embarked upon.
I'm our inquiry we requested to
be informed:
Il. Whether, and why, the ma
tional interest required that noth-
ing concerning the trip be pub
lished until it had been COM
pleted?
20. Why accredited correspond
ents, in addition to the repre-
sentatives OF the three press asso-
Citations, should have been denied
access to the first-hand news in
cident to your tour?
See Commence lmpeFlcu.
I'VE have received replies from
Messrs. Early, Price and Davis, bu
they contain no convincing state
ment to show that the security o.
the President required complete sup
preston of all news about the tou
until after its completion. In repl,
to our second question we have re
ceived no explanation whatsoever
We do not feel that the interests O.
the free American press were ade
quately served by the concession
which finally allowed three men Il
accompany you to represents all o
the thousands of newspapers in tn
United States. and we can see n,
Justification for this inordinat,
limitation on independent observa
ton by trained newspapermen.
I'VE believe this kind of expires
sion undermines confidence, not
alone in the newspapers, but in tn
Government. When so many peopl
have personal knowledge of such al
important event as the visit Of thei
President, and see nothing about
in the newspapers until long tim
afterward, doubts are inevitabl
raised as to the completeness an
authenticity Of other news emanat
ing from the Government.
I'VE agree heartily with the spiri
. of your own National Newspape
Week message, and PARTICULAR
when you say: War imposes grav
! new responsibilities on all Of us, bu