Evening star., 1944-12-15
Stettinius' Statement
On News Policy Hailed
Press in Other Nations Unaware
OF U. S. Problems, Says Writer

Press in Other Nations Unaware
OF u. S. Problems, Says Writer
By David Laurence
Entirely apart from the merits of the
controversy over the confirmation of six
Assistant Secretaries of the State De-
partment, Secretary Stettinius has es-
tablished a notable policy with respect to
the distribution of news abroad that will
be welcomed as step in the right direc-
ton for the postwar period.
Mr.. Stettinius in referring to the
nomination of Archibald MacLeish, said
aboutsthe scope of the new post:
Il believe that the new problems in
volved ip making a secure peace require
that much fuller information about
United States foreign policy should be
made available through the established
press, radio and other media both to
the people of this country and the people
of other countries"
Mr.. MacLeish, in his formal statement
to the Senate, seconded the policy. and
needed emphasis on American news
abroad
Unfortunately, the American people
believe that when the President or the
Secretary of State or other spokesman
in the United States express themselves
publicly on questions affecting other
countries, these statements are printed
in full text abroad. Actually, only a
small amount of American news is
printed in foreign countries.
Change Only Recently.
Only recently have the British news
papers, for example, begun to publish
more about the statements of the Ameri-
can Government. During the war, of
course, while the newsprint shortage
curtails the size of newspapers, the sit
uation is not normal, but in times of
peace the European press pays scant
attention to official communications
from the American Government
This has been explained as due, in
part, to the fact that the full text Of
statements are not sent by cable or
radio because of the heavy telegraphic
charges Efforts have been made to
reduce the cost of intercontinental COM
| munication, but even this does not solve
the problem for most of the newspapers
outside the United States.
Some method whereby important
statements of policy are sent by radio
or cable to our embassies or Legations in
foreign countries and made available
there to the press of those countries is
obviously needed. This method of dis
seminating American news was followed
in the World War, and it has, of course,
been carried on during the present war.
But when war is over and appropria-
tions for the purpose are not available,
| the free transmission stops suddenly.
| This is because the work 'during war
| time is in charge Of emergency agencies
| which terminate when peace comes. 1t
| is, therefore, excellent foresight for the
| State Department to recognize the
desirability of continuing to send to
foreign countries for publication in the
newspapers abroad the text of i'm
| portant governmental statements
Fear Of Propaganda.
The Congress has perhaps in the past
| been discinclined to appropriate money
| for these purposes because of a fear
| that the money would be used for
propaganda or the transmission of
particular viewpoints on which there
might happen to be controversy within
the United States.
1t is unfortunately true that war
time agencies consider themselves
charged with the responsibility Of
expressing opinions not only to the
people of this country but other coun-
tries And hence wartime propaganda
has been accepted more or less as q
necessity, when actually the American
point of view would be better served If
the wartime agencies did not express
opinions or attempt to color with their
own editorial ideas the announcements
that are made by our governmental au-
thoritieS.
Apparently Mr.. MacLeish intends to
| utilize established means of conmunica-
| ton, which, of course, is the best way
| to transmit the viewpoint of any govern
| ment. The force of American public
| opinion in the postwar world will be
measured by the extent to which Ameri-
can idealism is conveyed to the peoples
| of other lands. Unhappy, foreign peo-
| pies do not know America, because the
newspapers abroad do not print enough
about our policies or our activities to
convey a comprehensive picture Of the
policies of the United States Govern.
ment.
Mr.. MacLeish has indicated his whole
hearted interest in carrying out a sys-
tenn of news transmission which will
enable foreign countries to know
promptly what the various departments
| of our Government, including the Con-
gress, are doing with reference to In
| ternational policies.
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