Evening star., 1951-04-25
Model Defense Law
Ehdangers Free Press,
Publishes Warned
BY the Assseiaied Pres.

1h~A@ ~ &u HIVE
BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK. Aprflf 26.,- The
Federally recommended mode
State civil defense law constitutes
q danger to- a free press" the
American Newspaper Publishers
Association was told, today.
In a report to the 65th annual
ANPA convention. committee
on Federal laws said the recon-
nnended legislation could lead tc
efforts to "use our national
emergency as an excuse for seiz-
ure OF the press"
The model law. recommended
by the Federal Civil Defense Adj
ministration for passage by States,
contains provision which would
authorize Government seizure of
transportation and communica-
tions id times of emergency, the
committee said.
Civil Defense Backing Urged.
Later today Millard Caldwell,
Federal Civil Defense iAdministra-
tor. urged American newspapers
to educate our people in the sim
pie steps Of personal survival
under atomic attack.
ut must be done and done fast
before it is too late" Mr.. Cald-
well said in message to the con-
vention. ,4
'The brutal truth is that we are
confronted with the crisis of crises
-" Mr. Caldwell said. 1--WE
know that a war may be in the Of
flng. We know that Russia has
the planes and the bombs to make
shambles and slaughter houses of
our major cities"
Mr.. Caldwell said even "rudi-
mentary public education on what
to do In an atomic attack will
save countless casualties.
tit Is insthis time before an at
tack where we can make or break
our will to survive, sharply reduce
the number of casualties and pre-
clude any major panic situation if
atomic bombs fall 2on our cities
and our people, tzo4 .
Little We Can Do"
MIR. Caldwell said there is little
We can do to stop" Russia from
dropping atom bombs on Ameri-
can cities. and Russia has sufi-
cient planes "to assault all of our
major cities in one attack"
Mr. Caldweil'S message was
read to general meeting of the
approximately 1000 publishers
and newspaper executives by
Cranston Williams. ANPA general
manager. .-.. ,.-
Touching on the committees
report on the model civil defense
law. Mr.. Caldwell said he could
conceive of no such, seizure"
Il can think of no service so
necessary as a going, free press
under disaster conditions" Mr..
Caldwell said.
Steinlnan Headed, Committee,
The committee, headed by Col.
j. Hale Steinman of the Ian
caster (Pa0 1ntelligencer journal
and New Era, said: i
up to, now we know of no State
which has enacted such a law per-
m1tting seizure of newspapers, but
we feel that this suggestion in al
model law from Washington con-
stitutes q danger to- free press.
"A free press is necessary in
times OF emergency, as perhaps
at no other time, because the
people must be kept informed for
their own protection and safety.
Newspapers have a wonderful
record of having co-operated with
government in times of emergency
or OF war, and your committee be-
Heves there is inherent danger in
any provision of law which would
restrict a free press at a time when
this country is arming to protect
all our freedoms. :"
Sees Another Threat.
Another modern threat to press
freedom, the committee said. is
the passage of laws requiring
various businesses. including news
papers. to buy licenses to opera tie.
Licensing Of newspapers was
In olden times the method chosen
BY which to control the press, :"
the report said. s.-ees
It noted that the trend toward
licensing legislation has been
mainly at municipal, rather than
State or national levels, and the
laws have not segregated news
papers from other businesses for
licensing.
But the fact remains that
newspapers which up to now have
been kept free from any form of
licensing In this country are. now
required to pay license taxes"
the report said. .sy
1t added that 62 of II news
papers In Georgia pay such taxes,
and that the license fees have
been increased from time to time.
Urging a fight against this
trend, the committee declared
that newspapers should be Kept
free from control through license"
Commerce Department Raped.
The committee also raped the
Commerce Department for re-
moving the publishing business,
including newspapers, from the
list OF Essential activities" in con-