Evening star., 1948-03-27
U. 5. Proposes Treaty
To Aid Reporters and
Abolish Censorship
BY the Assoeiofsd Press

GENEVA, Switzerland, Mar. 27.-
The United States today proposed
an international treaty to abolish
censorship and protect the rights
of foreign correspondents.
The 16-article draft convention
was submitted to the United Ma
tions Conference on Freedom of In
formation by the American dele
CATION.
1t proposed that all acceding ma
tions grant equal facilities to each
others news and correspondents
and refrain from any censorship
other than regulations relating di-
rectly to the maintenance of ma
tional military security"
Contracting states would agree to
facilitate the entry into and exit
from their territories of foreign cor
respondents" from other states ac-
cepting the convention without spe-
cial restrictions on movement OF
residence, and guaranteeing equal
access to all news sources.
U. N. Special Writers Excluded.
The draft, however, specifically
excluded from the benefits of the
convention correspondents "ad-
mitted conditionally" to a contract
ing state in order to cover proceed
ings of the United Nations.
The convention proposed that al
copy of foreign correspondents be
transmitted without censorship
editing or delay" subject to regula-
tions protecting military security
which should be applied, when nee
essary, without discrimination, anC
only after the correspondent con-
cerned has been given q full ex-
planation.
Foreign correspondents also would
have equal access to transmission
facilities, and contracting states
would permit publication of all news
originating in other states accepting
the convention with the exception o1
obscene material"
To counteract reports likely tt
injure relations with other states
the treaty provided for any con-
tracing state to submit its version
OF the true facts" to the other states
which would facilitate dissemina.
tion of its views.
Open to All Countries.
The convention is expected to bt
discussed next week by conference
committee No. 2, dealing with col.
lection and transmission Of infor.
nation.
The treaty, as proposed by the
United States, would be open fol
accession by any state.
Today's committee sessions of the
conference were marked by vigorous
attacks on the American press from
Russian bloc delegates.
Romania's M. Moraru declared
that, while his country possesses 9
really free press" news distribu-
ton in the United States was
"monopolized by three chains, the
greatest of which, the Associated
Press, controls all the information
permltted TO reach large section
of the American public"
Russian, Polish and Hungarian
delegates all claimed that news cen.
sorship is exercised in the United
States by financial trusts" and that
distribution of information is con.
centrated in the hands of "a few
powerful financial groups"
Romania Claims Tolerance.
One Romanian delegate claimed
Romania's tolerance toward foreign
correspondents was proved by the
fact that New York Times Core.
spondent William Lawrence anc
United Press Correspondent Anr
Stringer were permitted to remain
in Romania "even after they hac
shown their hostility to our people.
Hungary's Edmond Ferenczi in.
dignantly waved today's edition of 6
Swiss newspaper and quoted a re.