Evening star., 1951-04-20
Military Chiefs
Brief Editors on
Defense Status
Marshall, Bradley
Address Newsmen in
'OH-the-Record' Talk.
By james 6. Deone

picture OF the NaCl0n'S m1lltar,
status to the American Society O.
Newspaper Editors today.
But what they said was labeles
"off -the-record."
Defense Secretary Marshall ane
Gen. Bradley, chairman of thu
Joint Chiefs of Staff, were tht
two principal speakers. Assistant
Secretary Anna Rosenberg alse
spoke.
Interest in the session was
heightened by Gen. Macarthur
Congress speech of yesterday. Ir
the editors minds also was g
grim warning voiced to them yes
terday on the country's atom
bomb vulnerability.
Civil Defense Administrator
Millard Caldwell told the society 4
convention yesterday afternoon
that Russia now has enough
atomic bombs to attack all ot
Americas major cities at once.
He said the Russians "are ready
to deliver this destruction when
ever they feel like it," And he
added:
There is little or nothing We
can do to stop them"
The 400 members attending the
convention were screened care
fully as they entered the Hote!
Statler's Congressional Room fol
this mornings defense ses-
sion. Yesterday Society President
Dwight E. Young stressed that
the remarks of the visiting
officials would be for their infor-
nation only, and were not to be
passed on to the public.
Criticized Last Year.
A year ago the society in 6
resolution strongly criticized at.
tempts by Government officials tt
withhold news, particularly il
such attempts are made under the
guise of providing information ir
confidence" But Mr.. Young made
1t clear the defense spokesmer
agreed to speak only on the con.
f1dential basis.
Defense Mobilizer Charles E
Wilson stressed home-front de-
tense problems in an address tt
the editors last night.
He called imitation Domestic
Enemy No. l." and warned OF
harsh" measures that will be
needed to combat it. But he said
that "if we can stabilize the value
Of the dollar. we can look to the
future with confidence"
The mobilization chief also
urged fight against complacency
asserting:
LET us not forget that, if the
Korean war ended tomorrow, il
would be written off by the Krem-
lin as mere incident, and the
cold war would continue on q
score Of other fronts.
"ThN only time we can be rea-
sonably sure of peace" he con.
tinued. "is when we can talk tt
the Kremlin with the voice oil
strength"
mo Apologies" Wilson Says.
In answer to questioning about
recent labor criticism of "big.
business" influence in the defense
effort, MIR. Wilson said he saw
nothing to apologize for" in hav.
ing men from "big business
among his associates. He added
"Just why any segment of tht
economy should find it necessary
to put the finger on those mer
for having answered their coun.
try's call, I don't know. It doesnt
make sense to me-"
Senator Kefauver, Democrat, O.
Tennessee, sharing the platform
with Mr.. Wilson, told the editor!
95 per cent of the criminal opera.
tions in the country could bt
stopped by local people" if they
would "kick out the local official.
who permit that kind of thins
to exist"
The chairman of the Senate
Crime Investigating Committee
crediting newspapers with in.
spring the committees work
urged that they keep fighting
crime by arousing public indigna-
ton.
The Senator also voiced strong
opposition to legalizing gambling
In his warning on A-bomb at.
tacks, Mr.. Caldwell deplored wha'
he called the shocking apathy o.
the American people to the yer,
real dangers of atomic attack OF
their cities and themselves.
Warns of Present Danger.
Urging newspapers to "get tn
facts and drum them into tn
consciousness of the people," tn
civil defense chief said only abou
10 per cent of the Russians at
tacking planes could be expectel
to be downed or DETECTED.
"This is the pre-attack period,
he declared. There may be littl
time left to educate our people il
the simple steps of personal sur
vival. 1t must be done, and don
fast, before it is too late"
Mr.. Caldwell told reporters fror
20 to 80 cities could be hit b
the Russians simultaneously. H
refused to say, however. hoy
many atom bombs our official
now believe the Soviet to have
Earlier, the editors heard Gov
ernment public relations activ
tiles criticized and defended.
". M. Newton, jr., editor c
the Tampa tFla.) Tribune, sal
the Government spends 5000 mil
lion annually on printing an
propaganda" much of it dan
gerous.''
Every line written by a Gov
eminent press agent" he charge,
'is designed to reflect glory upo
6fc rox,or,, ~ e,,+ ooo,,nx, o-I 4