The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-21
oFEIclAL SECRETS

JUSTICE department biAA'Ao4 &c
orets bin" which would substitute
claw.t1oth penalties Of fine an I
Imprisonment for the present sys-
TEN OF voluntary censorship.
The bill was drafte! TO provide
a penalty for copying names from
Civil Service Commission person
mel records for use as a CONNER
cisl mailing list But II Is so
wordei az 70 cover practically
everything pertaining 10 govern
nent office. The bill is not limit.
ed 10 information possibly Of aid
10 an enemy II literally con.
= Itrued, newspaper reporter prob
ably could be indicted. tried and
punished severely for publishing
confidential memorandum which
proved a government official TO be
guilty OF moral turpitude. The
BIZ would enable cabinet officers
and agency heads 10 suppression
time. at least--or 10 demand pun
ishment for publication OF any
thing at all pertaining 10 their Of
fices which they decided 10 label
SECRET or confidential.
Attorney General Francis Biddle
proposed the bill to Congress and
Chairman Frederick Van Nuys, D.,
IND. OF the Senate Judiciary Com
mi.tee introduced IT, Justice De-
partment Spokesman denied en-
phatically that II was a censor
ship measure at all. But Van
Nuys was in no doubt about Il
and said II was.
BY q loose definition OF what
constitutes an official secret, the
bill almost automatically could
supersede the present voluntary
censorship arrangement. 1t would
provide maximum penalties Of S.
600 fine, two years Imprisonment
or both for unauthorized disclos.
ure OF practically anything per.
tanning TO government II not
only would punish disclosure OF
anything declared by statute to be
secret or confidential but disclos.
ure Of anything declared to be
secret or confidential by any rule
or regulation OF any department or
agency OF the United States.
The bill prescribes punishment
for these persons: Whoever,
without authority. shall wilfully
and knowingly furnish. eommun-
icate. divulge, or publish 10 any
person. IN whole or IN part, cop
iss or the contents, substance, pur.
port. effect. or meaning OF any
file. instrument, letter, memoran-
DUN. book. pamphlet, paper, doc
ument, manuscript. map. picture.
plan, record. or other writing in
the custody Of the United States,
o. any agency. officer, or employe
thereof declared to be secret or
confidential
II seems likely that this word
ing will be changed, because high
officials have stated that the bill
was proposed without any inten-
tion OF enforcing punitive censor
ship regulation
On the other hand 1t is clear that
there turks in the minds Of some
officials the idea that publication
If facts about their activities
should be stopped. The reaction
from people Of the nation against
the recent pension plan for con-
gressmen. the Pearl Harbor stua-
ton, the recent Office OF Civilian
Defense appo ntments and other
similar criticism is not pleasant.
Nc one can blame public officials
for striving to avoid criticism, but
neither can anyone blame the peo-
pie OF the nation for wishing TO
know what is really happening.
All news agencies are respond
ing most willingly 70 the request
for suppression Of information
that might aid the enemy, but they
will not be willing 10 give UP the
right 70 expose recklessness. in
efficiency, personal favoritism and
other weaknesses Of which the
people who elect these officials
have a right 10 know II may
help the enemy in way TO know
that a certain man or woman IN
public office Is failing TO properly
perform duties assigned that Of
flee. but It helps the people OF
this nation much more than Il
helps the enemy. The enemy will
welcome secrecy. The people can
make changes and corrections. but
they can be aroused to make such
changes only as they are informed
as 10 reasons. Democracy can
succeed only In proportion with
the judgment OF the people
Judgment must be based upon &C
curate information. Suppress free
speech and government passes
from hands OF the people to the
hands OF a dictator. The press OF
the nation. like most other people
has no desire TO help the enemy
bv publishing military secrets, but
Il also has no desire 10 invite
downfall OF the government by
shielding with secrecy the weak
nesses or possible dishonesty oil
any public officials.