Evening star., 1947-11-30

star-Journal and Tribune, chair
man; w. 8. Gilmore, editor of the
Detroit News; B. M. McKelway,
editor of The Washington Star;
Laurence L. Winship, managing
editor, Boston Globe; c. G. Yelling
ton, managing editor, Kansas City
Star, and Paul G. Smith. editor
manager Of the San Francisco
Chronicle.
David E. Lilienthal, chairman of
the Atomic Energy Commission,
welcomed the appointment Of the
committee.
Joint Responsibility.
"The facts of atomic energy must
be known to the American people"
his statement said. But the agency
to inform the people must not be
the agency of Government in whose
hands they have placed the respon-
sibility for the conduct of their
atomic energy program. That Is
responsibility of a free presto
disseminate facts, to interpret them
and give them meaning, and to hold
public servants accountable for their
conduct of the peoples business.
THE Atomic Energy Commission
recognizes a joint responsibility with
the press to see that these facts are
available to the people of the United
States, with full regard for the COM
mon defense and security Of the
United States. The commission can
not carry out its responsibilities
under the Atomic Energy Act with
out the assistance Of the press, nor
can the people Of the United States
realize the promise Of atomic energy,
nor can they fairly share the re-
suits of their own efforts, unless
they are served positively and ag-
gressively by their own media OF In
telligence."
Mr.. Seymour said the committee
expects to confer with the Atomic
Energy Commission for the first
time early in January.
One subject to be discussed, Mr..
Howard said, will be a program of
cooperation between the ASNE and
the commission on the dissemination
of news which does not reveal re-
stricted information.
Four Problems Listed.
Mr.. Lilienthal said the commits
sion Is anxious to explore four prob
lens with the ASNE representatives.
He listed them as follows:
81. The needs Of the press with
respect to security guidance in the
development of atomic energy news
from other than official sources, q
problem constantly facing the work.
ing reporter gathering information
in this field and often confronting
editors who determine its fitness to
print.
20. The provision to the press of
adequate information about Gov
ernment program heavily cloaked In
security, the extent of and proper
expenditures for such information
and the manner of its operation. i
"3. The extent of the services from
the commission desired by the press.
In connection with the develop
ment of atomic energy news and
feature materials, including picto-
rial, on the initiative of the press.
Security restrictions often deter
initiative in many cases, and even
more often preclude the reportorial
probing which Is 80 basic to the
function of free press.
Freedom Of News Handling.
~. The means by which the COM
mission and the press can maintain
that flexibility and adequacy of re-
lations which will insure, under Sc
curity conditions, the fullest possible
freedom of news handling, which
will enable the press to carry out its
normal responsibility to inform the
public, and which will preserve the
traditional public accountability OF
Government agency without preju-
dice to the national security. At
the same time, the public and the
press must be assured that security
measures are not used to cover in
formation which the people Of the
United States have right To and
should know" n
Appointment Of the committee
followed action by the ASNE Board
of Directors at meeting in Cleve-
land last month.
The people of the United States
use about 10 buttons per capita in
a normal year.