Evening star., 1946-12-13
Editors Report Asks
Periodic Review Of
Propaganda by U. 5.
A committee Of the American So.


A committee Of the American So.
ciety Of Newspaper Editors recon-
mended today that special group
be appointed to review at intervals
the State Departments distribution
abroad OF information, news and
policy material concerning the
United States.
The survey committee Of eight
appointed last April, reported to q
meeting Of the ASNE Board Of Di-
rectors here that 1t had reached this
conclusion by unanimous vote:
1.-THE present uncertainties in In
ternational relations justify an effort
by the United States Government to
make itS activities and its policies
clear to the people Of the world
through the agency set up in the
State Department.
your committee recognizes, how
ever, the dangers inherent in gov
eminent dissemination Of news and
suggests that the society appoint a
special committee to review at in
tervals the work OF the State De-
partment agency and make its find
ings available to the membership" !"
N. n. Howard Chairman.
As for the State Departments
redistribution of ofncial texts and
operation Of the libraries of Ameri-
can books and sources all over the
world" the committee said it is in
complete agreement"
N. r. Howard, editor, Cleveland
News, was chairman Of the commit
tee."
Other members were George Corn.
fish, managing editor, New York Her.
aid Tribune. Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby,
executive editor, Houston Post; Ed
win L. James, managing editor. New
York Times; b. M. McKelway, ed
itor, washington Star; Hamilton
Owens, editor, Baltimore 6unpapers;
Ben Reese, managing editor, st.
Louis Post. Dispatch, and Gideon
Seymour, executive editor, Min
0GdHOlkb obal eJOQL IAol.
The State Department agency
which disseminates the matter in
question Is the once OF Inter.
national Information and Cultural
Affairs, headed by Assistant Secre-
tary william Benton.
It's operations have been 4 matter
OF controversy In Congress and
elsewhere. During the war, the
major American news services fur
nished news to the once Of War
Information and the Once Of Inter-
american Affairs for broadcast and
distribution otherwise over the
world.
Agencies Ended Service.
Last January the Associated Press
and the United Press ended service
to the State Department OTC,
successor to the wartime agencies.
With the war over, the stand by
the AP Board of Directors was that
Government cannot engage in
newscasting without creating the
fear Of propaganda which neces-
sarily would reflect Upon the objec-
tive of the news services from which
such newscasts are prepared" The
UP took q similar position.
Mr.. Benton protested publicly 1t
the time, but the ASNE committee
said It found little disposition by
state Department ofhcials to reopen
that issue.
The committee noted that Mr..
Benton asked the ASNE for an ex-
ploratory study Of the operation |
with hopes Of enlisting its support"
Some members OF the committee
Indicated they were strongly infiu-
enced BY the question OF expediency 4
Frank Approach Urged.
Mr.. McKelway said: If 1t is neces-
sary to win friends and influence
people abroad by Government
broadcasts Of news and opinion, let
us frankly recognize the Govern
rnent's program as an expedient in
propaganda and not confuse that
program with the dissemination OF
untainted news"
"a footnote explained that Mr..
McKelway specified reference to the
harmless" Websterian definition OF
propaganda and accepts Mr.. Ben
toms objections to the evil conno-
tations of the word as commonly
used In America
Mr.. James said the issue comes
nearer a 51.4s proposition than
anything I have been UP against,
feel could write a very good brief
In defense OF either side"
Mr.. seymour said: Engagement
in deliberate propaganda Gin the
purest sense) can only weaken our
world position, certainly our
State Department ought effectively
to acauaint other peoples with our
ofi.cial policies and significant ex-
positions Of them-adequately In
terpreted."
Mrs. Hobby said: II am compelled
to the conclusion that words are
weapons in the contest Of ideologies.
have arrived at the conclu-
sion that we must use the potential
1y powerful supplement of self-por-
trayal and Interpretation. abhor
the necessity for it and despise the
doing, but II such program can
be effective-or even. partly so-it
may be a partial peace insurance"
Viewed as Obligation.
Mr.. Owens said the Government
'has not only the right but the
obligation to inform the peoples
OF the world about its of1cial poll
cies." But the men carrying out
this task, he said, should con-
fine themselves as far as possible
to the exposition Of the exact poll
cies Of the Government, giving such
background material as may be
necessary to make these policies TN
derstandable. He added:
when the Government goes be-
yond these limits, 1t enters dan
gerous field"
Mr.. Reese said If the argument
is accepted that there 10 neces- {
sity that "the American side Of
the world picture be disseminated
as widely as possible" only the
National Government has the
means to do this In any major oper- {
4 fiSy1 q