Evening star., 1942-09-20
Criticism of War Bungling
Distasteful, but Necessary
Policy of Withholding Shocking News Under
Belief Americans Can't Take It
Assailed as Short.Sighte
Br Constantine Bro,cn.

There is no more distasteful job for
the objective newspaper reporter than
to have to write critically about the
manner In which the war effort is being
conducted, but it is better to have criti-
cal reporting now than later, when 1t
may serve no purpose.
Many people outside Washington are
anxiously asking what is the matter
with the administration? Why are
things not going better both on the
home and the battle fronts? Where are
We going and what are we doing?
Those who write these questions are
not defeatists. They are whole -heartedly
for supreme war effort. But they have
only hazy idea about what is going on.
Decries News Freezing"
People both in and outside of Wash
ington are in a state Of confusion. News
is frozen at the source and information
on both the domestic and foreign fronts
is being spoon-fed to the people. The
truth is generally so heavily shrouded
in smoke screen that it is hardly discern
ible. Military considerations make 1t
necessary to withhold from the people
the why's and wherefores of our limping
military strategy
The welcome reception of American
forces wherever they are sent to the
four corners of the world Is described in
the press and illustrated with pictures.
But the reasons they are there and how
they are going to win the war quickly
fall into the category of information
which would aid the enemy.
Some puzzled military men, when
asked about it, describe this dispersion
of our relatively meager forces as sym
bolic strategy" Others say these forces
are goodwill" troops sent to comfort
the Fighting French, the British, the
Russians, the Turks and many other
belligerent and neutrals-with the pos
sible exception of Americans.
Davis Sends Appeal.
The administration does not think it
wise to take the Nation into its conf
dence. A few weeks ago Elmer Davis,
director of the Office of War Informa-
tion, sent an urgent appeal to one of
the fighting services to release some
thing about an important theater of op-
erations because the public was clamor-
ing for news from that particular thea
ter
The head of the service sent for some
OF his officers, showed them the request
and told them to give out something
which would make headline, but ad-
moniShed them to be careful and not give
out any factual news. That afternoon
the newspapers received communique
OF some 200 wards containing generali-
ties and platitudes, but no actual news.
The people throughout the country
hear rumors about inefficiency and all
Its derivatives in Washington. They are
worried and believe the high command
Is conducting the war haphazardly.
New Zealand Puzzle
For instance, nobody here can under
stand why the command in the South
Pacific is divided into two water-tieht
compartments The Australian area is
under the jurisdiction of Gen. Douglas
Macarthur, who has an independent
military, naval and air force.
The New Zealand area close by, is
under the jurisdiction of Vice Admiral
Robert l.. Ghormley, who has a similar
organization. Gen. Macarthur takes
orders, presumably from the War De-
partment. Admiral Ghormley is SUBJ
ordinated to Admiral Chester Nimitz
who in turn is under the orders of Ad-
miral Ernest King
1t would appear logical that the two
areas which are so close together and
menaced by the same enemy should
have unified command Gen. Mac
Arthur. because of his prestige, if nc
other reasons were taken into account
should be the ranking officer
1t is hard to believe that this officer
would endeavor to dictate naval strategy
of which he has only a perfunctory
knowledge. In all probability he woulc
study the situation with the man at the
head of the naval forces in the SAME