Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-22
Toxic Ruid Story
Delayed Too Long
Major Eliot Argues
Thut Public Confidence
Is Hurt by Secrecy
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.


In democratic state, the only secure
basis for policy Is public contidence-con-
fidence Of the people in their chosen serv-
ants, who direct the execution of policy
and confidence Of the people that the
policy itself Is sound and beneficial to
their interests, both individual and COL
lective. In time of war, officials have
much greater degree Of latitude than in
time Of peace, and necessarily so. This
Is especially true of military policy, which
must usually be formulated in secret and
of which the public can judge only by It's
results. But in time OF war as in time of
peace, no policy which in the long run
does not demonstrate that it deserves
the public confidence can be maintained.
Particularly in time Of war, 1t is in
cumbent upon responsible oficials to do
all that they can, not only to deserve the
public confidence, but to keep the public
accurately informed of what is going on
The limits of military security must not
be overpassed, but for the general good
officials should be as jealous as the
spokesman of press and radio; for the
maintenance of those limits at the inner
most boundaries of military necessity.
Diplomatic secrecy may have to be MAIN
tanned as to certain aspects Of political
negotiations but here again it is the
official duty not to see how much can be
kept secret, but rather to proceed on the
principle that nothing should be kept
secret unless there is sound and de-
monstrable reason for doing so.
Nothing can be more injurious than
to maintain an owl-like attitude of off,
cial silence on subjects of great interest
to the public long after there is any real
need for doing so, while under various
pressures and by various means, the
truth leaks out bit by bit accompanied by
every sort of distortion and wild rumor
and Of course by the propaganda bally-
hoo of the enemy
We have had a recent example of the
results of this sort of thing in the way
the story of Gen. Doolittles raid on
Toxic has been handled The enemy has
known all about it for long time. Every
responsible Washington reporter has
known all about it. The facts in the
matter have been leaking out to the
public piece-meal, through senatorial
utterances, news stories from various
sources, enemy propaganda statements,
and most recently dispatch from North
Africa last Saturday, passed by the CEN
sor at Gen. Eisenhowers headquarters,
which stated fatty that the planes of
Gen. Doolittle's command took of from
an aircraft carrier.
Yet 1t was only yesterday that the
American public was at last officially told
the whole story of this magnificent and
daring exploit, long after the inspira-
tional value which might have been
derived from an earlier disclosure of the
facts has been lost by the processes of
attrition. This is not sound policy, it is
not conf1dence-building policy 1t places
the agency charged with the dissemina-
ton of official news, the Office of War
Informal ton, in an impossible position,
for it is common knowledge that that
ONCE desired to release the Doolittle story
long before it was in fact released, and
was not permitted to do so. If the owl
is to have the confidence OF the public
which 1t serves, it cannot be required to
accept responsibility without being given
the necessary authority to discharge that
responsibility.
Another case in point is the forthcom-
ing United Nations food conference at
Hot Springs, Va, which the President
appears to desire to conduct in close
walled secrecy. This is, OF course, impos-
sible. There will be leaks, there will be
rumors, there will be one-sided reports
by interested parties and the net result
will be far more injurious to the public
confidence and to the success of the
conference than would be the case If the
press of the Nation were afforded the
normal facilities for reporting it. Again
it is common knowledge that the Office
of War Information wants these facilities
given and is not being allowed to have
its way.
This is all wrong, and If it continues
the results may very we'll be disastrous
We have not yet even begun to face the
cruel realities of this war. We have not
yet even begun to bear the sacrifices
which we shall have to bear if it is to
be won. Unless the American people can
have full confidence in their leaders, and
in the policies which these leaders are
following how can they be expected to
make, willingly and unhesitatingly, the
sacrifices which are essential not only to
victory but to the establishment after
victory of a just and lasting peace?
Copyright, 1913, N. Y Tribune Inc.