Evening star., 1948-09-13
Private Use Of Paper!
Belonging 10 u. 5. Is
Blamed on Truman
Magazine Series Drown
From Hopkins Reports
Is Cited as Example
By David Laurence

II committee of Congress sud-
denly asked President Truman to
publish copies of all the telegraphic
reports he had received from Ameri-
can diplomatic representatives in
Moscow during the last three years.
so that the American people could
know the truth about what has
really been happening back of the
scenes, Mr.. Truman would probably
decline to do so. He probably would
say confidential matters of di-
plomacy could not be revealed.
Yet in Golfers weekly there has
been appearing from week to week
a series OF articles entitled THE
Secret Papers of Harry Hopkins"
in which, in the final article, para
phrase is given of what Mr.. Hop
kins said in reporting to President
Truman on conversations with
Marshal Stain in Moscow.
The most intimate aspects Of
American and Russian policy are
revealed from documents which are
actually the property of the Gov
ernment of the United States. Mr.
Hopkins went to Moscow on an Of
fetal mission and his expenses were
paid by the taxpayers of America.
The Presidents business with Mr.
Stain was not personal but part
of the business of the Government
Of the United States. These re-
ports are, therefore, the property
of the Government and should not
be utilized for anyone's personal
benefit.
Morgenthau Case Cited.
The initiative and enterprise Of
Golfers weekly in getting these
documents are not open to question,
as 1t is customary for the press
to try to get copies of Government
proceedings whether confidential or
not. But the wisdom of President
Truman and Secretary of State
Marshall in allowing any private
persons to utilize Government files
for general publication without
furnishing these same documents
10 the entire press is certainly open
to question.
It may be argued that Harry Hop
kins had a property right to the
papers in question and that his
heirs have therefore a right to sell
them. But the same point arose
when the diaries of former Secretary
of the Treasury Morgenthau were
under public discussion. Secretary
Snyder on instructions from Presi-
dent Truman, asked that material
that should be in Treasury files be
returned, and arrangements were
made to re-examine the papers with
Mr.. Morgenthau's cooperation.
The point today, however, is a
somewhat different one. Robert
Sherwood, who has been editing
the Hopkins papers, has no doubt
in his possession lots more informa-
ton on what happened as between
Mr.. Truman and Mr.. Stain and
between the American Government
and the Russian government. Even
at this late date, it still Is in the
public interest for the details of
those secret conversations to be
given to the press.
inconsistency seen.
It Is inconsistent for Mr.. Truman
to argue that he cannot be COM
PEELED to give up to Congress
papers or records in the executive
agencies of the Government and
at the same time permit private
individuals to publish data which
belong to the executive agencies of
the American Government.
There seems to be need for a !
statute to protect the confidential
documents of the American Gov
ernment from misuse by private
individuals. Even former Secre-
tary of War Stimson did not OBJ
serve the proprieties when, after
his resignation. he wrote an article
for Harper's Magazine last year
giving facts about the number OF
atomic bombs available in 1916
information which never before had
been published and which he
learned only in his official capacity.
At that time this correspondent
wrote that Mr. Stimson probably
stipulated that the text of his
article was to be given 10 the
press In full but the editor of
Harper's Magazine promptly advised
this correspondent that the right
to republish it in full was granted
on the initiative of Harper's.
On the Hopkins papers, Golfers
weekly does not permit the press
to republish the material in full
but limits quotation to 400 words
per article. Thus do private pub
fishing companies decide how much
Of the secret papers of the United
States Government shall be re-
vealed to the public. This situation
could not have arisen without the
tscit or implied consent Of Presi-
dent Truman or his Secretary of
State.