Evening star., 1944-03-10
Stimson Orders Army
Library 10 Drop
Magazine LIST
BY the Associated Press.


Secretary of War Stimson told
Senator Vandenberg, Republican, of
Michigan today that the War Col
lege Library has been ordered to dis
continue distribution of a list of
selected magazine articles which
prompted vigorous protest by SEN
ator Vandenberg.
The Michigan Senator. who de-
clared that one of the articles
amounted to a smear" attack on
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, made pub
lie letter from Mr.. Stimson, which
said:
I'm order that there may be no
opportunity for misunderstanding of
the War Departments position =
I have directed that the list be elm
mated from future issues of the
library bulletin
Senator Vandenberg called the IL
brary list to the Senate's attention
yesterday. saying 10 magazine re-
prints had been offered as current
reading material for the troops. He
said the Army should devote itself
to the war and keep out of the
political wars at home
StimsOn Assures Agreement.
In his letter, Mr.. Stimson wrote,
Il need hardly assure you of my
complete agreement with your state
ment that the War Department
must be scrupulously careful to avoid
the official distribution of partisan
or prejudicial material to the Army,
either at this time or at any other"
Mr.. Stimson stated that the War
College Library made it custom to
reprint "as a routine library func-
ton" monthly selection of current
magazine articles made by council
of librarians The present head of
the council, he said, is DR.. Luther H.
Evans, chief assistant librarian,
Library of Congress-
There has been no intent to imply
War Department approval of these
selections" he added The sponsor
ship by a council of librarians is in
dicated as part of the heading.
Monthly circulation of this publica-
ton represents fewer than 500
copies"
> Democratic Encouragement.
In the meantime. a Republican
proposal for establishment of BIZ
partisan committee to filter propa-
ganda out of political news going to
the troops overseas met with Demo-
cratic encouragement today.
Senator Bridges, Republican, of
New Hampshire proposed that a
two or four man committee, with
membership equally divided between
the two major parties, be set up
to scan Army and Navy news output.
Informed of this, Senator Lucas,
Democrat, Of Illinois said:
'I'm for a commission or any,
thing that will give the troops hon.
est, fair information about the can
didates, regardless of who they are
I don't want any one to have any
advantage"
News Bureau Studied.
Officials of the Republican Ma
tional Committee already have
given the War Departments News
Bureau a thorough going over and
left the impression that they found
little reason for any complaints.
This bureau was said to have no
control over distribution by the
War College of the article which
prompted Senator Vandenberg's
protest.
Senator Vandenberg told his COL
leagues that the No. reprint offered
to the troops was an American
Mercury article by John McCarten
entitled Gen. Macarthur, Fact and
Legend" The Michigan Senator
said the War Department bulletin
described this as "a comprehensive
and objective appraisal of the gen.
eral as presidential timber, with
special reference to the character Of
his hackers and an analysis of his
military reputation before Pearl
Harbor and afterward."
Senator Vandenberg is backing
Gen. Macarthur as a possible draft
candidate for the Republican presi-
Dental ponoipat tjop