Evening star., 1951-10-17
Newsman Panel Sees
Abuses, Damages in
Classification Order

President Truman's security
classification order was down.
graded but not altogether de-
nounced by newspaper correspon-
dents and a Senator at forum
discussion in the National Press
Club auditorium last night.
Panel members declared that,
at best, the order opens the way
to possible abuse, and, at worse.
it threatens penalties that could
kill freedom of the press.
Several of the speakers at the
forum sponsored by Washington
professional chapter OF Sigma
Delta Chi, however. defended the
need for some such uniform order
to safeguard genuine security in
formation in civilian agencies.
They absolved President Truman
and others of any sinister mo-
tives" or any conspiracy to con-
ceal governmental operations and
launch a super-propaganda sys-
tenn. Most of them agreed that
the lob is not to wreck the order
but to improve it and defeat bur-
eaucrats who try to abuse it."
Moody on Panel.
On the panel were Senator
Moody, Democrat, Of Michigan, a
former newspaper correspondent
here; Yates Mcdaniel, Pentagon
reporter for the Associated Press;
Wallace R. Duell of the Washing
ton bureau of the st. Louis Post
Dispatch; Anthony Leviero, OF the
New York Times bureau. and War
rem B. Francis, chief Of the Los
Angeles Times bureau.
Northcutt Ely, Washington at
torney who served in the Interior
Department during the Hoover
Administration. was moderator.
Howard L. Kany of the Associated
Press and James E. Warner of the
New York Herald Tribune bureau,
arranged the session.
Mr.. Ely and several questioners
from the floor cited what they re-
garded as the least understood
and probably the most dangerous
aspect of the order. 1t is, they
said, the section that apparently
makes newspaper reporters and
editors subject to espionage law
penalties if they accept classified
information.
Too Broad, Moody Says.
Senator Moody said he thinks
the Presidents order was "a mis-
take, as set up" The order, he
commented. is "too broad and too
vague and gives too much author
ity to too many people" At the
same time an increasing amount
of vital security information is
being handled by non-defense
executive agencies in the Govern
ment and many of those officials
do not know how or whether to-
classify it, he explained.
That is why some uniform Secur-I
fly standards or classification are
necessary, he said. The order. as
issued by the President, should
be more specific and classiflca-
tion should be subject to appeal.
he advised. Senator Moody re-
peated his suggestion that such
an appeals group consist OF a.
qualified group, Of Washington
newspaper correspondents.
President Truman, in the opin-
ion of Mr.. Leviero. was justified
in issuing the order. He added
that he is mot optimistic that itl
will be free from abuse" Despite
its shortcomings. the order offers
a "liberalizing element" because
it will require civilian agency Sc
curity officials to conform to min
imum standards, whereas in the
past they did not have to account
for such classification moves. he
said. A major need, he added. is
for periodic and systematic de-
classification or downgrading of
Government material.
Encourages Censor Moves.
Mr.. Francis, the severest critic
of the order. declared it shows a
creeping paralysis in bureaucra-
cy." 1t encourages 'intrenched
bureaucrats" to classify, censor
and suppress legitimate informa-
ton which taxpayers have right
to know, he maintained.
Mr.. Duell cited a tendency
among Government officials to
pass the buck" He predicted that
the order would intensity that ten
dency Ito play it safe and clas-
sify."
Mr.. Mcdaniel warned that the