Evening star., 1942-07-11
Open Door Decreed
By Davis 10 War News
Under His Control
But Army and Navy
Will Continue Issuing
Own Announcements
By BLAIR ROLLES.

BY BLAIR BOLLES.
Elmer Davis, director of the ONCE
of War Information, having made
public his plan for keeping IAN open
door" to sources of war news in
Washington, today turned his at
tention to administrative changes
which, he hopes, will save the pub
lie some money by reducing the
cost of Government publicity.
From now on Mr. Davis will con-
troll all war news policy except that
of the Army, Navy and White
House.
At a press conference held in the
Social Security Building, Mr.. Davis
yesterday announced his regulation
No. l and disclosed that since his
arrival in Washington four weeks
ago he has spent 80 per cent of his
time establishing contacts with the
other Washington agencies.
Dissatisfied With Trial News.
He said he thought he could
eliminate some overlapping func-
tions within his own agency. At the
same time he stated he was dissatis-
fed with arrangements for news on
the trial of the eight Nazi saboteurs
but held out no hope for change.
Basing his attitude on the declar-
alton that this is a peoples war"
Mr.. Davis declared that one of his
primary purposes was to get more
information out of Washington to
the public so that the United States
will know more about what is going
on. His main points are these:
/. The Federal Government will
issue as promptly as possible all
news and background information
essential to clear understanding of
the Nations war effort.
2. The Army and Navy will con-
tinue to control their own news in
their own way, but representatives
of the War and Navy Departments
will confer with Mr.. Davis before
each communique is issued so that
Mr.. Davis may present arguments
for broadening the communique.
3. News releases from one war
agency which touch on the activities
OF another agency will be cleared
through Mr.. Davis office. This sys-
tenn is to reduce the number of con-
Trajectory official statements.
4. All speeches by high Govern
.ment officials will be cleared through
Mr. Davis office.
Defends Present Arrangement.
Mr.. Davis defended his arrange
ment with the Army and Navy.
which keeps the services beyond his
control, by explaining that since he
took his job here, he has come to
have new and greater understand
ing OF the implications of secrecy In
the interest OF national security.
He said he thought the Navy's
misery policy regarding news about
| the Aleutian Islands operations was
based on sound military judgment
about controlling information that
might help the enemy. He said
only military man was competent
to judge of what might harm the
national security.
However, he plainly stated his
disagreement with Maj. Gen. Frank
r. Mccoy, head of the saboteur trial
commission, over the generals at
titude toward information about the
trial. Gen. Mccoy insisted that dis
closures of developments at the trial
would injure national security.
| He disclosed that he had proposed
| the trial be covered by one man from
each Of the three press associations
Associated Press, United Press and
International News Service - and
that one motion picture photogra-
pher and one still photographer be
admitted to the trial
"The Best We Can Get"
Il think the public would feel
better" Mr.. Davis said, 'if the trial
were covered by men outside the
Government"
He said the solution" announced
by Gen. Mccoy, that the general
would issue a resume of the trial
daily, does not suit me, but it Is
the best we can get"
AS for the news policy of the War
and Navy Departments, he said:
Il have not found any mood in
the services to hold back news be-
cause 1t is bad news"
His own philosophy is this:
This is a peoples war, and to
win it the people should know
as much about it as they can. This
Office will do its best to tell the
truth and nothing but the truth.
both at home and abroad
Military information that would
aid the enemy must be withheld.
But within the limitation we shall
try to give the people clear, COM
plete and accurate picture"
Cowles to Join Staff.
He said that plans announced
yesterday might not work perfectly
and they could be changed. He Is
moving his Office into the Social
Security Building Monday.
Mr.. Davis said he Is bringing In
from the outside only one new man
for his agency-Gardner Cowles, jr.,
who will be associate director of
owl In charge Of its domestic