Evening star., 1948-02-05
By Russell Brines
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent


TOKYO, Feb. 5.-The controversy
between Gen. Macarthur and some
American news correspondents over
how far and when they may travel
brings up two broader questions:
How much authority should the
Army exercise over reporters gather
ing news, and what facilities should
be available to the reporters?
The Sc accredited correspondents
of six nations now working here
actually have no specific status. For
practical purposes they have most
of the privileges Of military person.
mel and the Army's civilian en-
ployes. This is possible, say Gen.
MacArthur's aids, because OF his
special dispensation.
This means correspondents are
able to purchase articles and food
at Army post exchanges and COM
missary, obtain transportation for
limited payment, and live in houses
Communicated from the japanese
and renovated at Japanese govern
ment expense. For such houses, cor
respondents pay q rental in Amer
ican dollars to the United States
Army. average, 500 monthly.
Status Termed a Privilege.
Military officials have told cor
respondents that they have no more
status here than "a man selling a
shirt" and that their privileges"
could be taken away from them at
any time (by Gen. MacArthur's
commandD.
The Army organization here is an
expansion of its usual peacetime
establishments-with, however, in
finitely more authority and direct
supervision over the American civil
ians present.
The counterintelligence corps
maintains a continual surveillance
over all foreigners, as we'll as jap
anese, in key points in Japan. 1t is
known that files are kept on cor
respondents and their reliability"
Is graded In these records.
Antiblack market restrictions in
clude a maximum allowance OF Is
gallons of gasoline a month and
specific limits on the value OF food
purchases. Several correspondents,
who fell obliged to travel and en-
tertain more than the average resi-
dent here, have received warming
letters that they have exceed their
quotas.
One carton of cigarettes may be
bought each week at post exchanges.
Other limits: One can of shoe polish
monthly; two toilet items weekly.
The Army has a blanket rule that
any member of the occupation re-
ceiving three delinquency reports
for rules infractions can be removed
from this war theater. This blanket
rule has not been applied against
correspondents, but has affected
some officers. Because of multi
tude of rules. most residents acquire
three delinquency reports very
quickly.
Jobs Made Harder.
Bill Costello, Far Eastern chief OF
Obs, and other correspondents have
voiced the opinion that while these
regulations do not discriminate
against newsmen directly, they
make OUR job harder. and mean we
are working under a constant threat
of expulsion" q,
Correspondents here represent the
Iynited States, Britain, Australia,
China. France and the Soviet Union.
The Americans include representa-
tives of all news agencies, major
radio networks, news magazines and
such newspapers as the New York
Times, New York Herald Tribune,
Chicago Tribune and Chicago Daily
A.sna' IA ssasher taen news direct
contacts-with Allied headquarters
and Japanese officials and through
statements issued by the headquar-
ters public information Office. Some
old-line Army officers refuse to
meet the newsmen and insist that
all information must be handled
through the public information Of
ficer. Most officials as high as
headquarters section chiefs will see
newsmen, however, even though re-
fusing to be quoted directly. And
Gen. Macarthur frequently talks
with individual correspondents on
condition that he not be quoted,
Macarthur Attacks Writers.
Gen. Macarthur in private con-
versations frequently has attacked
a few correspondents by name as
being leftists or extreme rightists.
He has accused some Of participat-
ing directly in japanese politics,
and has said on that basis he was
opposing the reaccreditation to
Japan of Compton, Pakenham, for
mer Tokyo bureau chief OF News
week Magazine.
The supreme commander is
known to be sensitive to criticism,