Evening star., 1951-10-10
Too Much Information?

Secretary OF Commerce Sawyer, speaking at
Philadelphia, has contributed his bit to muddying
the waters in the debate over the Presidents
order controlling the release of security in
formation.
Mr. Sawyer's basic theme is that the public
Is being given too much information on defense
matters, not too little. That may be true,
although If so the primary responsibility rests
on the officials who release information which
should be kept secret.
A more important point of disagreement with
Mr. Sawyer however. emerges from such state
ment as this: :" some publishers are anxious
to see that real security information is not given
circulation" That implies, and invites the in
ference, that other publishers are not anxious
to refrain from publishing real security informa-
ton. Mr.. Sawyer. of course, does not identify
any such publishers nor does he spell out any
instance in which any publisher knowingly has
printed real security information. He is content
to let innuendo do its work Of bringing into
question the patriotism and good sense Of pub
fishers in general Needless to say, this Is not
conducive to clearing up Of misunderstanding
between publishers and Government officials.
Mr.. Sawyer concluded his remarks on the
subject with this paragraph: "Regrettably the
truth is not always considered news. The
ubiquitous rumor, the elusive innuendo, and even
the big lie frequently given currency as news"
There is, unfortunately, some basis in fact
for this statement. But what is its relevancy?
A published statement that is lie may well be a
deplorable and very annoying thing. But II it Is a
lie it does not reveal security secret. That can
be done only by publishing facts which should not
be published, thereby giving information to
potential enemy. Presumably Mr.. Sawyer is not
suggesting that Government officials should have
To o0lin oY1N
But if not, why the lecture on truth and false
hood?
The Star happens to believe that very few
If any publishers want to divulge real security
information. There is no quarrel or at least no
legitimate quarrel with the Presidents order on
that score. The valid objections are that the
order does not provide workable machinery to
do the job that 1t appears to have been adopted
without adequate study of the problems involved,
and that it does not provide for any authority
to whom disputed questions of security can be
appealed.
This last is particularly disturbing to many
publishers. Lacking full confidence in the wis
dom and integrity Of some officials they fear
that the power to classify materials as secret,
restricted, etc, will be used without justification
to cover up blunders and suppress information
that should be made public.
Mr.. Sawyer should understand this. Through
a process of inheritance, rather than through any
fault of his he has become central figure in
the legal dispute with the Dollar steamship inter-
ests over the stock of the American President
Lines. The Court of Appeals here has said that
in this case high Government officials have
resorted to every device to defeat and thwart
an order of the court. That spectacle is not
one which inspires unlimited confidence in the
uses which officials might make of the powers
given them under the Presidents loosely drawn
order.