Evening star., 1944-08-24
&fSscurity
CONTINUED From First Page

should like to correct this impress
sion. As regards the policy, I am in
complete agreement with what Mr..
Stettinius has already stated"
Ambassador Gromyko subscribed
to the joint statement made by the
three delegations but offered no
oral comment.
Text Of Reporters Protest.
The protest presented by the State
Department reporters said:
TT is now evident that a policy of
complete secrecy prevails over the
talks at Dumbarton Oaks. In two
meetings with the press on August
% and one on August 70, the onicial
spokesman for the conversations.
Michael j. McDermott, has been able
to report only mechanical develop
ments, such as the time of sessions
and the appointment of committees.
In the experience of the reporters
assigned to cover these talks, these
routine affairs are not news. They
do not contribute any of the in
formation necessary to public under
standing of these important issues.
The purpose of this committee in
calling on you Is to ask reconsid-
GRAFTON of this policy OF secrecy. 1t
must now be obvious to you, Sir
Alexander Cadogan and Ambassa-
dor Gromyko that as a practical
matter, secrecy cannot be main
tanned effectively. On August %
one newspaper reported in detail
on the three plans of world organ
ization which were presented or
August %. 1t even quoted from the
British plan. Yet. the only state
ment obtainable from the spokes-
man that he was not authorized to
comment.
Danger of Bad Business Cited.
I'm the absence of factual infor-
nation with news value, a vacuum
OF ignorance is almost certain tc
develop around the day-to-day work
OF the conference Inevitably. such
a vacuum draws in bad guesses and
half-truths of rumor as we'll as
authentic reports.
Even when due weight is giver
to the needs of the conferees te
work in privacy, the problem oi
public information remains one OF
the most important with which the
conference must deal It is neces-
sary only to note that the success
or failure Of the proposed world
organization depends not alone on
the success of the Dumbarton Oaks
meeting in reaching a tentative
,four-power plan. 1t depends also
on acceptance of that plan by the
four governments and all the other
United Nations and the peoples
as we'll.
The correspondents suggest that
dynamic information policy en-
phasizing the release OF facts on q
day-to-day basis, rather than theil
suppression, would better serve the
purposes of organized world peace
than the policy of secrecy now ir
force.
This would not necessarily meat
a violation of the privacy which of.
ficialS say Is necessary. to the worl
of the conference. 1t would NEAR
seeking for substantial information
to release instead of relying on the
issuance of reports Of meaningless.
mechanics"
Formal Reply to Reporters.
The formal reply given to the re.
porters by the heads of three dele
cations said:
I'VE wish everybody to understand
that We have met here at Dunbar
ton Oaks to hold informal 'conversa-
tions and exchanges of views on the
general nature of an international
security organization. the results Of
which are subject to the approval
Of our respective governments.
I'VE hope, after we have had op.
fportunity for the fullest and freest
exchange Of viewpoints, to arrive Al
agreed recommendations which w
can submit to our respective gov.
ternments.
I'VE will release through oui
press osicers periodically joint COM