Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-12
Spheres Designated
By Price and Davis
For Coordination
Role Of Censorship
And War information
Office Decided

Byron Price, director of the Of
flee of Censorship, and Elmer Da-
Wis, director of the Office of War
Information, have issued joint or
ders to coordinate the handling of
information, it was learned today.
The new orders, given. the stats
Of the two agencies Monday, seek
to iron out conflicts of interpreta-
ton" Both Mr.. Price and Mr..
Davis, it was said, have sent memos
to their STATS urging them to ia
miliarize themselves with the di-
receives, since their chiefs mean
business.
The Office of Censorship, the Or
ders provide, will take it for granted
that the owl is speaking authori-
tatively for the agency in question
when it issues domestic news re-
lease concerning any other war
agency.
owl Not a Censor.
1t is also understood that the
owl may decide what given Gov
eminent agency may release as well
as what it should not release.
However, it is understood that
the Owl will not function as
censor in its relations with the
press and radio or other non-Gov-
eminent institutions which dissem-
mate war information. The re-
sponsibility for this function rests
exclusively in the Office of Censor
ship.
The agreement stipulates that
neither the Owl nor any of its-rep-
resentatives will exercise any of the
functions of the Office of Censor
ship with regard to radio and press.
Likewise, neither the Office of Cen
sorship nor any of it's representatives
will undertake to interpret what type
of material is to be considered
proper for information or other
purposes.
In the field of domestic foreign
language radio, the Owl recognizes
the Office of Censorship as the prin-
cipal regulatory authority. Chief re-
sponsibility of the Owl in this
sphere will be the monitoring of
foreign-language broadcasts and the
reporting to censorship Of systematic
malpractices
Maximum Freedom" Policy.
Certain fine distinctions have been
made in the case of international
cable, radio and wireless which are
designed to project better this coun-
try's campaign on the propaganda
front. 1t was decided that the Office
Of Censorship will put the weight OF
its appraisal of the material trans
mitted by the Owl on tangible Sc
curlty considerations as distinct |
from intangible psychological or
policy consideration"
The policy with regard to the in
ternational scene, it was explained,
is designed to insure maximum
freedom of action"
Specific understandings have been |
reached so that Owl can designate
timing of international news trans
mission. Aaso, speeches and news
releases intended for distribution
overseas will be expedited, the Owl
accepting the fact that it must
adopt adequate security measures
both to and within the country in
which the controlled circulation
takes place.
Actual definitions of the spheres
occupied by the Office of Censorship
and the Owl have been formulated
by the directors.
Realistic Approach Seen.
Expressed broadly, the orders as
sert that the responsibility of the
Owl is to disseminate and publish
information about the Nations war
effort; that of the Office of Censor
ship is to keep out of enemy hands
information about the war effort
which could be used to damage the
United States.
officials Of both agencies foresee
an increasingly smooth collabora-
ton between themselves and men,
bers of their organizations. They
believe they are reaching an Gin
telligent and realistic" approach to
the problems that face them in
serving the war effort.