Imperial Valley press., 1942-03-11
CAPITAL TALKS
by
Peter
Edison
MAal-rNHrON. March II

WASHINGTON. March II -
f....rn.,, ees>unry> of ncwS-moan-
- tag II w.y have Your under
...,.s..- ID appreciation CT cen
.ss,h.o ~ -smMod ~ by fear oi
\ ..!.e - ..,lA. call propaganda
tas none consumption.
Ta h.Kc CERTAIN military ntor-
e,,t,on at possible value to the
enemy wi,ah5ld is oae thing That $
secesSary and oH1y with most peo-
Ht,t when this Incomplete picture
Is c.u,.cre3 up VITA extra trim
masEs which are applied Tor the
sfns-oso Of hrpnOu.nE YOU into a
s,s.nc.o.Ical belief that the scene
:. nr,t,!cr than il really Is that 5
something Else again.
Timing ,omplicates this in
pecul II wa. II good or bad
news is held UP for time,
then released At some pSycho-
logical moment so that the good
news makes you feel better or
the bed news is buried by oth a
oood news. then the customers
start complaining. For examples:
\ gCod many people thought, and
>aa.e still think. that the news 81
Pearl Harbor was deliberately doc
cred 10 deceive the American peo-
vle Tie President had to spike
,hat one
Aea:n. the rumor got round in
some ciuee that the Navy had hello
r,n re,ai', q, the first big raid on
CjIhe.. and Marshall Islands from
reb when the raid took place.
a.d released il Feb - to offset
he bad news from Singapore. The
answer % this one vas that the
fs.a..s we're Eat given until after
the raiders go. back to Pearl Har-
ear because TO have radioed the
.evs sooner would have given away
- location Of the raidlng SHIPS
an6 their route home
COMMUNICATES OKAY
N3yv No,ieE on announcing Sub
,s3riro attacks and sinkings has
.!,o been questioned. When sub
marine ,.u';s a U. S vessel, under
he D.es-n. ruling, that's news, but
gh9r I 6 vessel sinks a sub
marine TIA. q naval secret The
..seoyv here is that if axis powers
dcn'r know the fate Of their un-
Feard-fvOm submarines, it makes
the operations of sub fleet com
naadevs that much more dhtlcuit
ana It breaks up the morale OF the
enemy Submarine crews This eH-
rcrieNce stems from the last wal
p.saa German crews finally refused
- 60 to ga. The news policy OF
siY1,ines is now under review, how
ever. and may be changed IN some
way. such as permitting the an
rouncnment of submarine SinklngS
week after they occur.
Army and Navy communicates -
cay 70 day news reports OF the
actual war developments are, as
fact. free from any propaganda
control. The communiques are writ
Ten bv a colonel for the Army anc
a commander for the Navy IheA
c.ear their information with eacf
a.'.pr. information which comes II
5nce or twice day from command
e.s II the several theaterS or oper'
atoms. Tw cor three hours after
ne vororts are in, they have beer
sacoded. rewritten. passed by the
.rsrral and admiral in charge o'
a.esS. and issued.
There are times wher, if the com
m1ir.rua contains hot news iron
ne sector. secondary news from an
athc" command may be held up to-
a da~ or two when there Is luIl
SOMETHING TO WATCH
TIE one government agenc,
which has potentialities for propa
r.9d:zirg news for domestic con
SUMPTION Is the Office Of Facts ant
figures. and it must work Larger,
5r remote control in sharing tn
3ClIcic5 Of other acancirS handin
g. war Information. OFF, an
ro.nced D9licy Is . glro Tho Amer
rsn people a tue picture Of
va effort # It stick, 10 tha. policy
HHu and e0Gd War and Navy De
ear.mcNt and the Cflire Of Censor
sls,2 are tied in with OFFS l.
4 par,mnnta! Committee on wa
II formation. but the CFF contrt
.2rcr tho services polic@ on news
rc-,ie!elo. ard the C.tice Of Cen
.neel!g is s.ce"lnp mics away fror
sn..h.ng nat resembles propa
aanda Office Of Censorship ma
have to order some HeWs withheld
~. j. w1n't color wat news
2.}ln Out
Far ,nore to be feared than
anv potential propagandizing
Of tho war news is another de-
vflopment of recent date. This
j. the so-callcd war secrets bill
prepcred bv the Department OF
Justice and now before the Ju-
dicilry Committees of the House
and Senate. The purpose Of this
bill is to prevent the leaks of
var secrets. of which there have
been A number. The bill would
provide 5000 fine or tvo-year
imprisonment for anyone fur
nishing cr publishing "Any file.
ins .run"i,'. l'ttc-. rl"mOran-
dunn, book pamphlet, picture
plan. record or other writing
in the custody Of the United
Sta'"S." which any government
Off iai h1d declared secret.
TAGrr tac bill, any goVcrnme
lHIoial COULD MAKE a record
ar. .2lcl It 'eccret1 and preVe
= luaucat:on. The proposed law
-, ANYTHING To worrY about "
- Congress will probobalY tear
- l,~rT Bu' il IS something
...L- Z .l.r1 intnrnstnd in pn