Evening star., 1953-11-02

eatS generally - representing
American, British and French
wire services, newspapers, mag
azines, radio and televiSion net
works-boycotted the arrival of
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway.
United States Chief of Staff, be-
cause of restrictions placed on
news coverage at the air field.
A handful of Korean newsmen
and a Stars and Stripes (army
newspaper) correspondent, who
did attend the arrival, were con-
fined to a truck near the landing
ramp.
First word of the restrictions
came from the 5th Air Force,
but Col. George M. White, 9th
Army press information officer.
said the order came from Gen.
Maxwell D. Taylor. 9th Army
commander. The resulting flare
up climaxed series of incidents,
some serious, many petty but ex-
tremely annoying to newsmen.
These incidents have taken many
forms:
/. A growing tendency toward
unreasonable and double" CEN
SorShip.
2. A PERSONAL withdrawal of
the command from contact with
the press.
3 More, and more annoying,
restrictions on physical press
coverage.
4. Open and concealed limita-
tions on press communications
and transport.
5. Discrimination against ac-
credited Korea, Japanese and
Chinese newsmen.
Shaped Pattern of News.
Singly, perhaps. none of these
have resulted in the complete
suppression or perversion of a
major story. But they have, over
the months. shaped the pattern
of the news the world has re-
ceived from Korea.
spondents working
against time cannot often afford
to stop in the middle of story
to crusade against official mis-
behavior or mishandling. If a
quick, on-the-Spot protest does
not suffice, there is little choice
but to go ahead on a half a loaf
is better than no bread" basis.
The censorship problem is the
most fundamental. Double" and
political" censorship has be-
come more and more frequent in
recent months.
Trained military ceusors are
available around the clock in
Seoul, Pusan and Munsan. It is
their duty, and theirs alone. to
pass on every story that leaves
Korea by telephone or teletype
to decide if there is any breach
of military security.
Many Exceed Official Duties.
Despite this official censorship,
many public information Off
GERS in both Army and Air Force
units try to decide what they
will or will not release, In many
cases they try to suppress un-
pleasant facts that have no con-
nection whatever with military
security.
The most glaring case of dou-
BILE censorship in recent months
was during thes Chinese Com
munist Kumsong offensive last
July, when four ROK divisions
reeled back up to 10 miles on a
15-mile front.
In this battle, for the first time
in the Korean war, the 9th Army
abandoned it's traditionally frank
and open daily press briefing,
distorted items of fact, withheld
important information, and at
tempted in every way possible to
conceal the truth from CORE
SpondentS.
AS always, the official military
censor was at hand to filter out
information that would have
helped the enemy in outgoing
copy. But 9th Army went be-
yond this and tried to keep the
correspondents in gnorance e.
More, 9th Army several times
officially denied factual reports
from correspondents at the bat
tie scene. Formal written pro-
tests from newsmen to Col.
White were never acknowledged.
News From Red Side.
Ten days ago, when a South
Korean fighter pilot deserted and
flew his F-51 Mustang to Com
-,