Evening star., 1948-01-17
Safeguarding Defense Secrets

In its report on Survival In the Air
Age" the Presidents Air Policy COM
mission referred twice to weakness
in our national security program which
should be corrected promptly. This weak
ness is the Governments tendency to
release too many details to the world about
new weapons and techniques which will be
our chief hope of survival in any night
marish war of the future.
Referring to an apparent contest between
the Air Force and the Navy for publicity
on aviation speed records, plane design
and the like, the commission expressed Its
belief that continuing and rigid enforce
ment of wartime security measures with
regard to advanced aeronautical develop
ment is necessary now" The stakes are
too high the commission declared, to show
all the cards in our hand.
The commission was not suggesting
return to the system Of wartime press
censorship which prevailed during World
War II. It did not advocate press censor
ship OF any kind-compulsory or voluntary
in the invidious sense of controlled
press This was not military commits
sion, with military ideas Of security. It
was an all-civilian group; one Of whom
was newspaper publisher. What the
commission proposes is more effective
control of military information at the
source-that is, within the defense estab-
lishment.
The problem Is one with which Defense
Secretary F'orrestal and his staff already
are graphing. It Is not easy of solution.
It involves not only responsibilities OF the
Government in the field of public informa-
tion but responsibilities of the press. The
responsibilities on both sides are magnif1ed
by the potentially explosive nature of the
situation which afflicts the postwar world.
The press at times has been unfairly
criticized for publishing data which prob
ably might better have remained secret.
But the fault usually lies not with the
press but with some publicity seeking
official or agency. The remedy in this
type of case is not censorship of the news
papers but more effective control of the
sources of military information.
The danger in this self censorship by the
Government is that 1t will not be admin
istered as intelligently as 1t should be. The
recent effort to extend security of Federal
information into the realm of matters
which might cause administrative en-
barrassment" indicates that the danger
is not imaginary. The Presidents COM
mission emphasizes that the public has
a right to know everything about its mill
tary establishment that is consistent with
security in the real military sense. To
further that end, it recommends the
creation of civilian board legally author
lied to review and report periodically on
the status of national defense.
Beyond That, however, there is need for
peacetime security setup in the military
establishment to which newspapermen
could turn for prompt and authentic
advice regarding publication Of news on
sensitive" subjects. To be successful, such
an advisory service would have to win con-
fidence by the wisdom of its administra-
tion. The counsel of an authoritative
agency of this sort would be helpful to
press which, while jealous of its freedom,
is not oblivious to its responsibilities in
these critical times.