Evening star., 1951-05-04
Permanent Committee
To Set Up Coyerage Of
Celebrations Urged

~ClCutuiIViiS UIyGu
Representatives of the press
radio and television today calle'
for the creation of permanen
committee to set up machinery TO
coverage of major news event
with a minimum of interference
from the police.
The recommendation was mad
at a special hearing conducted a
the District Building to inquir
into complaints of police inter
ference with the coverage of tn,
Macarthur celebration last month
Most of the complaints centeret
around police activities at tn,
Statler Hotel, where Gen. Mac
Arthur stayed overnight. Police
Chief Robert j. Barrett responded
to those complaints by saying i
was his understanding there woult
be nothing -at-the Statler.
Prevention Stressed.
Most of the testimony was aimee
at suggesting methods of prevent.
ing recurrence of the incident!
of Macarthur Day. Nicholas j
Chase, attorney representing tht
Washington Television Pool
warned that IF the present system
is continued wherein the arbitrary
and impromtu orders of police of.
flcerS become the governing rule
for such occasions, nothing but
confusion, .manhandling and reck-
less destruction of private prop.
erty can ensue."
Herbert F. Corn, managing edi-
tor of The Star, declared that po-
lice passes have got to mean some
thing. Pointing out that police
passes instruct members of the
force to extend every reasonable
and essential courtesy to the
bearer" Mr.. Corn said he believed
that the press is entitled to 6
pledge from Maj. Barrett thai
this is not just-an empty phrase.
Protests Ignored.
H. L. Coppenbarger, city editor
of the Washington Daily News
cited two instances where he sale
his reporters found police passes
were not honored on Macarthur
Day.
Merlin johnson, District Build
ing reporter for the Times s-Herald
said the newspapers made ad-
vance protests about restrictive
police arrangements and these
protests were ignored.
j. R. Virgins, managing editor
of the Post, wrote the committee
that the precautions taken by po-
lice were "a bit more extravagant
than necessary" and in some in
stances were more restrictive than
those suffered by the japanese
people during the occupation. Mr.
Virgins said Post reporters and
photographers were not roughly
handled, but he said he believed
errors had been made in the issu-
ing of credentials.
Barrett Favors Committee.
= Anthony Muto, representing
1--WE newsreel companies, said
there was no Justification for the
issuance of more than a thousand
passes. to the Macarthur Day
event and he, too, called for a
standing committee to dealsdirect-
ly with the authorities In Screen
ing out passes.
Willard Shaded, president of the
Radio Correspondents Associa-
ton, said the absence of consist
ent directives issued TO the police
force created undue hardships or
association members.
Maj. Barrett said he was in &C
cord with proposals for a perma-
nent committee to handle the
passes and he pointed out the jur-
isdictional problems of three diff
ferent police forces here.
He took personal responsibility
for what he variously described
as the confusion and misunder-
standing at the Statler, but he
said that he did not know until
the morning of Macarthur day
that Gen. MacArthur's departure
from the Statler for the Capitol
was to be televised.
Television spokesmen irmedi-
ately declared that police did
know previously of the plans tc
televise from the Statler.
The three-man board of inquiry
composed of Joseph C. McGar-
raghy, Edgar Morris and Thornton
Owen, were to present their find
ings and recommendations to the
Commissioners.