Evening star., 1952-09-29
6. 0.P.S Senators
Accuse Truman
OF Censorship
Policy Groups Staff
Charges Secrecy Is
Administration Aim
By Robert K. Welsh

OUVcTHIIleEL SCTanSllQS OF 1ns
formation" was denounced today
in a Republican Senate staff re-
port accusing the Truman Ad.
mlnistration of using secrecy, cen-
sorship. distortion and restraints
to keep the public in the dark.
Senator Ferguson, Republican.
of Michigan, is distributing the
Senate Minority Policy Commit
tee staff survey on Secrecy in
Government" The 12,O0O-word
report traced what it called "the
growth of Federal censorship, con-
cealment and deception under 20
years of Democratic administra-
ton"
1t contended that secrecy in
government not only reached a
climax in the Truman Administra-
ton but has become an end in
itself.
Truman is the author of three
famous executive ORDERS" the re-
port charged, having as their aim
first, the concealment of eXecu-
tive action from Congress-; second.
the slow strangling of every means
OF communication-press, radio,
televislon and moving pictures:
and third, the deliberate use of
supposedly confidential informa-
ton in the attempt to destroy
political opponents"
Lists Three Orders.
1t listed those orders as the
Loyalty Order of March, 1947. a
supplementary order on loyalty
investigation procedures in Sep
tember, 1851, and an order last
January which opened. income tax
returns to Senate Rules Commit
tee inspection.
The immediate reason for tho
latter order, according to the re-
port. was "the administrations
passionate desire to ruin Senator
Mccarthy" Senator Benton,
Democrat, Of Connecticut, had
sponsored a resolution aimed at
unseating Senator Mccarthy. Re-
of Wisconsin, who had
charged that the State Depart
ment was honeycombed with
Communists.
TO aid this hatchet work the
President opened the income tax
returns to the rules committee"
the report asserted. "A more
fragrant abuse of executive power
was never seen. On numerous
occasions the President refused to
give tax returns, information and
files to congressional committees.
The report described the orig.
inal loyalty order as IAN instru-
ment by which information on
Communist infiltration could be
withheld from Congress and it
provided for the imposition of
censorship upon all executive
The scope and methods of gov.
ernmental secrecy have grown to
such point that Congress has to
fight for information before it can
legislate," the report declared.
Newspapers, it added, often can
get the facts only if reporters
turn themselves into detectives
and gum shoe artists.
Truth About Pearl Harbor,
The truth" about Pearl Harbor
and many other happenings dur
ing the past 20 years will come
out only if Republican adminis-
tration and Congress are elected
in November, the report stated.
The Republican 80th Congress
uncovered many scandals but was
stymied mainly by the following
administration moves, the report
said:
/. Appointment of supposedly
Independent commissions to deal
with questions that the adminis-
tration did not want Congress to
;ouch.
2. Adoption of a formal CENSOR
ship code for all civilian execu-
i've agencies in 1947.
3. Imposition of overall censor
ship through the September, 1851.
executive order.
4. Intensif1cation of the "tra-
1itional claim of the Executive to
withhold papers if the public in.
.erest demanded it,"
Claims 10 Examples.
The report listed 10 examples it
aid demonstrated the Adminis-
ration's policy of censorship to
over up a suicidal policy" of
attempting to ram a Communist
(See SECRECY, Page A-2.)