Evening star., 1947-11-12
Information Lacking
On Report Of Truman
Censorship Screen
Extent Of Departmental
Order on Agency News
Still Seen as Mystery
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
There Is still considerable mystery
over whether President Truman is
permitting q censorship screen to
function on the matter OF informa-
ton to the public.
A proposed regulation to bottle
up news which had been put into
effect already in the Veterans Ad-
ministration, was considered for
possible use in other governmental
agencies. A protest by the American
Society Of Newspaper Editors to
President Truman brought change
in the language Of the regulation but
no information as to what was
meant by the revised language,
which still indicates that Gov
ernment employe may be dismissed
for giving out information that
might possibly embarrass some in
diWdual in the Government.
President Truman told a press
conference that there had been
much ado about nothing. He indi-
Gated that the matter of the reg
uiations themselves was not as seri-
Gus ms had been supposed by the
press. He intimated that the press
should have ignored the matter be-
cause he, OF course, would not allow
any censorship at the source to be
invoked.
Still No Information.
Mr.. Truman's expressions Of pur-
pose were welcomed by the press, but
there Is still no information as to
Just what the status of these recon-
mendations happens to be, and to
what extent instructions have been
Issued inside the governmental
departments to withhold informa-
ton which might be embarrassing to
individuals from political stand
point.
The incident now has attracted
the attention Of Congress. Repre-
sentative George II. Bender, Repub-
lican Congress member -at-large
from Ohio, has issued a statement
declaring that a committee of Con-
gress should make an investigation
OF the whole affair. Mr.. Bender
says:
"I am increasingly concerned over
the encroachments OF militarism into
our civilian life and the imposition
by the Truman administration OF
military controls upon the normal
functions OF Government and upon
the free flow OF news.
To-day I examined the text Of
proposed regulations drafted by the
Truman administration to apply
military restrictions on any informa-
ton and documents of the civilian
agencies of the Government. One
Of these regulations, 1t is reported,
was put into effect in the Veterans
Administration The other, pre-
pared by an interdepartmental COM
mittee for Mr.. Truman's signature,
would extend this protective CEN
sorshir over the remainder Of the
Federal agencies by allowing them
to classify as secret or restricted
any sort of information affecting
the s~-called prestige Of the agency.
ANY employe Of the Government
who did not respect this classif1ca-
ton, however absurd the classiflca-
ton might be, would be subject to
dismissal for 'disloyalty. 1t is in
conceivable to me that there is any
statute or authority which would
permit the agencies Of the Govern
nent to cut off the free flow OF In
formation in this manner.
Sees Cloak for Bungling.
Gwen during the war no such
sweeping restrictions were imposed.
The effect of the proposed regula-
tions would be to cloak with secrecy
all administrative bungling and in
competence. Military censorship
abhorrent to our whole American
way Of life could be applied to the
basic statistics and information col
lected by the United States Govern
nent
1T was reported that, at his press
conference on September 6, Presl-
dent Truman 'criuicized the press OF
this nation for taking what he called
fragmentary reports and setting
them up as straw men and then
knocking them down President
Truman said further that the press
did not have full and correct infor-
nation on this censorship project
But he apparently did not supply
the full and correct information on
that occasion. The secrecy with
which the Truman administration
has ted to clothe its activities
makes doubly unfair the Presidents
indictment of the American press
for using fragmentary bits of infor-
nation. Any proposal which threat
ems the freedom Of the press can
not be left to rumor and specula-
ton. It Is vital to the welfare of
this nation that Congress determine
the exact origin and status of the
censorship program and the legal
basis for the Truman administra-
tion efforts to date along these lines.
Accordingly, have suggested to
the chairman of the House Expend-
itures Committee that the entire
matter be looked into, and I have
offered assistance in every way pos
sible. I am also making available at
this time copies of the documents
furnished to me as true drafts of
the censorship regulations.
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