Evening star., 1948-03-30
Forresta|, Newsmen
Plan 10 Guard Secrets
Without Censorship
By the Assoeiofsd Press

.. BY the Assoeiotsd Press
e Secretary of Defense Forrestal
promised today to meet frequently
with q civilian news advisory coun-
Gil to work out ways to safeguard
military secrets without censorship
The nine-man council Is to be
named by various publishing, broad
casting and motion picture organi-
cations
Plans for its formation were
adopted at meeting yesterday at
tended by Secretary Forrestal and
leading press, radio and movie rep
resentatives. At an earlier confer
ence March 3. the Secretary had
asked the civilian group to advise
him on how to prevent "informatio
which might endanger the United
States from being given to any
potential enemy"
Secrecy Needs Acknowledged.
The news representatives told Mr.
Forrestal in a resolution that they
acknowledged the need for secrecy
in scientific research and develop.
ment Of new weapons. But they said
they did not believe ANY type OF
censorship in peacetime is workable
or desirable in the public interest.
The committees resolution was q.
follows:
Conditions in the world today
require the perfection of our ma
tional defense, an important part
of which lies in the field OF scien.
tific research and development oil
new military weapons.
= Protection of necessary military
:. secrecy in such fields in q country
: rightfully jealous of its free anc
: uncontrolled media OF communica
: tions presents a problem in ma.
: tional security
I'VE recognize the existence Of
!. such a problem.
: Its wise solution in the responsi.
hility Of the national military estab.
liShment. But 1t is shared to {
: degree by all media of public infor.
= nation.
Have Assumed Proper Part.
"As Representatives of such medis
we have willingly assumed our prop.
er part Of that responsibility.
I'VE do not believe that any typt
of censorship in peace time /.
workable or desirable in the public
interest.
"If any exists, we would not be
sympathetic with an intent, on the
part of the military establishment
to propose peace-time censorship.
I'VE do believe that conscious.
ness Of the fact that security of the
Nation could be compromised by
careless or premeditated publication
OF classified military information or
technical, scientific developments
should impose an effective restraint
on all responsible media of public
information.
Forrestal Commended.
I'VE commend Secretary of De-
tense Forrestal upon steps now be-
ing taken under his direction to CO.
ordinate military establishment
policies designed for the quick and
full release of all information to
the American people compatib
with the necessary protection OF
knowledge which should not be re-
yealed to potential enemies.
In his formulation Of means te
effect policy in this respect, but
without the implication of censor.
ship machinery in any form, W.
suggest to the Secretary that he
call upon each of the organiza
tions listed below to designate q
representative as member OF a Sc
curlty advisory council.
I'VE recommend that these or
ganizations respond and that the
council be available to the Secre-
tary for advice and discussion OF
the security problem from the view
point of the press, the radio and
the moving picture industry. Es-
tablishment of such liaison, we be
lieve, will be mutually helpful to the
information media represented ano
to the Secretary of Defense.
Organizations Listed.
The list Of organizations fol-
lows: The National Association OF
Magazine Publishers, the National
Association of BroadcaSters, one
representative of the three press
associations, one representative OF
the radio networks. the American
Society Of Newspaper Editors, the
American Book Publishers Council
Inc; the Motion Picture Associa
ton, the American Newspaper Pub.
fishers Association and the National
Conference of Business Paper Edi-
tors"
Mr.. Forrestal said the stand
against censorship was in line with
his own views. And he said he
would ask the news organiza ton.
represented to appoint delegates tt
the Security Advisory Council
A subcommittee of the news group
headed by B. NJ McKelway, editol
of The Star, drafted the resolution