Evening star., 1944-05-22
Important Objective
Gained in Censorship
Stand, Cooper Says
By the Associated Press.

i NEW YORK, May % tP).-The
, offcially-Stated policy of the Allied
supreme command in the Mediter-
ranean theater to censor news dis
patches only for reasons of mill
tary security, thereby removing any
Implication of political censorship,
achieves an objective of paramount
Importance" Kent Cooper, execu-
tive director of the Associated Press.
said today.
Mr.. Cooper referred to the state
ment issued by military authorities
yesterday at Naples disavowing ap-
plication of political censorship, in
connnection with an Associated
Press dispatch based on an inter-
view with Marshal Tito which was
cleared for publication last Sat-
urday after three weeks delay.
The statement added that the dis
patch containing the interview with
Tito was held up by censors be-
cause it contained matters affecting
military security.
Not Told of Security Angle.
"At no time Mr.. Cooper said,
was the Associated Press here told
by Allied headquarters that any
question of military security was
involved, although the authorities
had every opportunity to say so in
order to allay our suspicion that po-
litical censorship was involved.
"On the other hand, Edward Ken
nedy cabled through censorship:
Originally main reason assigned for
refusing to pass story was 'Yugoslav
mission now in London currently ne
gotiating points raised hence un-
want Tito use popular pressure
against Allied policy Since then
censorship has given numerous
other reasons, sometimes contradic-
tory, which in my opinion only
serve to prove bad faith of censor
ship officials and their inability to
justify their conduct in face an
nounced policy against political CEN
sorship.'
"All of Kennedys messages were
dispatched through the regular
Mediterranean censorship channels,
without official comment or contra
diction, although the Associated
Press explicitly had asked Gen. Sir
Henry Mailand Wilson for an ex-
PLANTATION.
The cognizance taken by the mill
tary authorities and the formal
statement disavowing political CEN
sorship justifies, in my belief, the
steps taken by the Associated Press
to obtain the release of the Tito
story and establish firmly the basic
principles involved" Cooper said.
Principles Declared Vital.
These principles, involving free
dom of access for publication of all
news not involving considerations of
military security, are vital to the
Allied cause. Their recognition. I
feel, achieves an objective of para
mount Importance to better under
standing among free peoples, for it
is IN the darkness of misunderstand-
ing caused by the lack of free ex-
change of information that there
is brewed the causes of another
world war.
L hope and trust the assurances
that no political censorship will be
applied in this war, in the Mediter-
rsnean theater or elsewhere, are as
rlgioly applied and understood by
the military authorities as is the
TACT that all recognize the necessi-
ties OF security censorship. No
American war correspondent or
American newspaper, in the exer-
else of this essential freedom to
cover political news, would desire
to get or think of publishing any
material which involved considera-
tions of military security"
The Tito interview, written by Jo-
seph Morton, originally was sub
mited to censorship by Mr.. Kennedy
April 80 When released for publi-
cation May 20, an accompanying
note from Joseph Dynan, Associated
Press correspondent stationed in AL
2iers, said the original dispatch was
intact except for passages referring
to the location OF warships.
Held Worse Than Patton Incident.
Mr.. Kennedy had reported on
May 3 that purely political censor
ship" was being applied, and added:
In my opinion, it's censorship
scandal 10 times more important
than suppression of Patton incident,
and If accepted by us. can only lead
to permanent Allied political CEN
sor2hip in Europe and end of all
freedom in reporting political news
here"
On May l6 Mr.. Kennedy, explain
ing the understanding with Tito,
said 1t was agreed the story would
be withheld IF any deletions made
for political reasons"
Mr.. Kennedy said all deletions
were accepted by Tito except one
which he as well as we feel based
purely political considerations with
no military security involved. Par
agraph in question includes refer
ence by Tito to Mihailovicn AS
finally cleared. the story included
passages in which Tito referred to
Mlhailovich' forces in replying to
the question what is the strength
inf