Evening star., 1942-03-15

31
BYRON PRICE,
Americas maritime censor.
A. p. Photo.
Mr.. Price who still thinks in A. P.
Technology, says that Mr. Burfords is a
traffic job; he must know the proper
destination for each bit of information.
Price Has No Illusions.
Mr.. Mellett did not want the job of
censor though many persons charged
he was being groomed for it. Mr.. Price,
an able and high -salaried working news
paperman, took it because he believed
his experience qualified him better
than a military officer or a bureaucrat.
He wanted to preserve as much as pos
sible of free press and free communica-
tions He has no illusions about his
governmental work
Everybody dislikes censorship" he
says. No censor. good or bad, will be
popular"
Stephen T. Early, White House secre-
tary, who joined Mr.. Mellett in recon-
mending Mr.. Price for the position, has
observed that II the new censorship
Office fails the cause will be too much
machinery" AS second executive in the
gigantic Associated Press and as Wash
ington correspondent of 20 years eXpe-
rience, Mr.. Price has what he calls "a
good administrative setup." He adds
If the organization fails, I alone will
be responsible. If voluntary censorship
does not work, the newspapers will be
responsible and I hate to think what
would happen if we have to come to COM
pulsory censorship"
Definitions Still Moot.
This brings up question of defini-
tions. What is censorship? What is
meant by voluntary? AS an exercise
in semantics, Mr.. Mellett could make
case that there is no censorship-yet.
One dictionary defines censor as:
"An official or military officer charged
in time Of war with examining CORE
spondence, news dispatches, speeches
and the like, in order to suppress or de-
aid the enemy or injure military or ci-
william discipline or morale"
So far, there is no law or executive
order that any newspaper must" sub
NIT dispatches to the Office of Censor
ship. The press division, however, is on
an around-the-clock basis and corre-
spondents wishing to learn about the
desirability OF publishing news stories
may inquire there at any time.
President Roosevelt was more explicit
than Mr.. Mellett. Writing to meeting
of the American Society of Newspaper
Editors here in April last year, the Pres
ident said:
so far as am concerned, there will
be no governmental control of news
unless it be of vital military informa-
tion."
Definition Again In Dispute.
This sentiment is Mr.. Prices idea, but
the question arises. what is vital mill
tary information?" Army, Navy, Mari
time Commission, War Production
Board and other Government branches
have at times clamped down on informa-
tion which might be detrimental to their
particular agencies as we'll as on what
seems to be legitimate news. This is
censorship at the source" and is far
more effective than deletion of facts in
written dispatches. Mr.. Price says he
has no formal jurisdiction over depart
mental publicity regulations. but he be-
lieves that if departmental officials give
out minimum of information, and that
nearly all favorable to themselves, news
papers will feel no responsibility for CO.
operation and the whole system will
break down.
Official brasshats without authority
have already tried personal censorship.
When the first cable dispatch of Joseph
c. Harsch, Christian Science Monitor
correspondent from New Zealand was
published in Washington an admiral in
the Naval Operations section discussed
with Australian Minister Casey the prac-
ticability of putting Mr.. Harsch under
strict censorship. The admiral had no
censorship jurisdiction and it was nee
essary for the Navy public relations
Office to inform Mr.. Casey that the ad-
mlral had no authority IN that field and
to undo his efforts.
Mr.. Price, as a former Washington
correspondent, knows the difficulties of
censorship at the source" and as a
former A. P. general news editor he
knows the problems of reporters and
editors throughout the country. He also
knows that if the Government offices
and the defense establishment keep the
clamps on real news not of vital military
Importance. the reporters will get the
news where they can and their editors
will print 1t.
Should that come to pass, the Govern
ment, If it were 80 minded, could insti-
tute compulsory censorship and freedom
Of the press would 60 out the window
for the duration Of the war. The pos