Evening star., 1952-05-05
Resolution in Senate
Calls for Commission
To baIk News Censor,
By Bloir Moodv

Any one who attempts to impose
censorship on news, direct or
subtle, will have a rough time from
now on if the Senate approves
resolution pending before its
committee on Government oper-
ationS.
The. proposals would set up a
special subcommittee of inquiry
specifically assigned to knock out
any obstacles to the free flow OF
news from its sources to the
American people.
The sponsors Of the resolution,
Senator Monroney, Democrat, of
Oklahoma, and the writer, believe
that censorship-eXcept on actual
military secrets which must be
concealed from the enemy-cannot
be tolerated in our democratic
system at any time. Today, when
policies are being formulated on
which the survival of our Nation
depends, this principle becomes
doubly imperative.
The distractions which in vary
ing degrees clog news channels
today are nothing new. The iron
screen of censorship goes back to
the period when President
Coolidge was represented to the
public as mysterious White
House spokesman" and before.
Washington newsmen have not
forgotten the press conferences of
President Hoover, where all ques-
|tions had to be submitted in writ
ing and any correspondent who
wished the privilege of attending
could not disclose that an unan-
SWered question had been asked.
Truman Provides Vehicle.
President Truman's ill-advised
security order" of last Septem-
ber. however. has provided a We
hicle for a real effort to blast out
the roadblock. It aroused the
Nations editors. and rightly so.
For. while the statement of policy
which accompanied the order was
impeccable in objective, and while
stringent attempts have been
made since to prevent its abuse,
the order itself is too broad and
too vague.
This presidential order would,
Of course, be one of the first sub
jects of scrutiny by such a 'spe-
cial committee, but the inquiry
by no means would stop there.
In some sectors of the capital
factual information is readily
available. Veteran. well-known
correspondents can almost always
get any information they want,
some being better at this than
others. But the idea that public
information is the private pre-
serve Of the departmental men
who possess it has long been a
practical obstacle to the free flow
of news.
"Secret" Stamp Abused.
In the military and atomic
fields there exists the problem
of protecting military secrets and
scientific advances. The principal
objection to the Presidents order
is that he was extending the priv
ilege of stamping "secret" too
broadly into civilian agencies. But
the stamp has been used freely
in the military as well. Informa-
ton held back by Government
departments as none of the pub
lies business has been a primary
source, perhaps to the principal
font. of malpractice and corrup-
ton.
It was so in the days of Teapot
Dome and it was so in the mink
coat draped back doors to the
RFC. Pending concurrently with
the anti-censorship resolution, and
in an important sense linked to
it, is the anti-corruption "Clean
Government Bill of 1882" also
introduced by Senator Monroney
and the writer with Senators
Sparkman. Democrat, of Alabama,
and Smathers. Democrat, of
Florida. One of the shooter"
features Of this measure, which
tightens the laws aginst the "tax
fix" and. provides mandatory jail
sentences for both corruptor and
corrupted. would turn a revealing