Evening star., 1957-04-11
Editor Says Ban
HurtsU.S. More
Than Red China

A spokesman for the American
Society of Newspaper Editors
told the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee today the |
United States is hurting itself |
more than Red China by refus-
ing to issue passports to Ameri-
can reporters to go to that |
country.
J. r. Virgins. executive editor
of the Washington Post and |
Times Herald. testifying as Sec
retary of ASNE, said he holds
this belief because the ban on
passports gives the Chinese
Reds a monopoly on the news it |
wants to put out.
The committee also heard
Will Manslow. general counsel
OF the American Jewish Con-
gress, protest against the right
of the State Department to use
the passport as an instrument
for restricting the travel of any
American for lawful purposes.
Mr.. Manslow argued the right
to travel should be restricted
only against persons seeking to
escape law enforcement, or pos
sibly in time Of war.
HickenloOper Raises Point
Senator Hickenlooper, Repub-
lican of Iowa, made the point
that Red China did not open It's
borders to all American report
ers, but only to a selected list.
Mr.. Virgins replied that if the
State Department would lift its
ban, other papers could apply
for passports. and If the Chinese
Communists then refused admis-
sion to the others, the "onus
would be on Red China and not
on the United States"
Senator Hickenlooper also
wanted to know if newsmen
would be willing to waive all
claim to the protection of the
United States if they were per-
mitted to enter China and were
treated badly there.
:. Mr.. Virgins said he doubts. II
any citizen can divest himself
completely Of the right to the
protection Of his Government.
He conceded that if an American
reported was treated improperly
IN China it could have an ad-
verse reflection on the United
States. He admitted there is
some risk and danger involved.
but he argued for the right of
the American people to have the
opportunity to get whatever
news can be obtained from other
countries.
I'VE submit that it is in the
interests of the people of the
United States to have swift, ac-
curate and complete information
about the territory controlled by
Red China" Mr.. Virgins said.
We contend that the Secretary
tof State) has fun authority
under the regulations, and by
the departments own construc-
ton of the regulations, to grant
exceptions to general travel re-
strictions that would allow re-
porters access to Red China"
Cites Dearth Of News
Senator Hickenlooper brought
out that Great Britain and other
countries which recognize Red
China have correspondents in
that country and yet there seems
to be a dearth of news coming
from them out Of China.
Mr.. Virgins said the dis
patches Of these British and
other correspondents are not
available to all American papers
and he thought there would be
more news IL Americans were
there. But he agreed there are
some difficulties in reporting
from China by those who al
ready are there.
Asked by Senator Mansfield.
Democrat Of Montana, what the
general attitude Of the press Isl
toward the individual reporters
who accepted the recent invita-
tion to go to Red China with
out passports. Mr.. Virgins said
he believes the press generally
is hopeful they will not be pun
ished, but that editors are di-
vided over the wisdom of pro-
ceeding in violation of regula-
tions.
Julius Frandsen, acting Wash
ington bureau chief for the
United Press, testified that any
proposal for admission of a lin
tied corps of American corre-
spondents into China would not
be generally agreeable. He said
the most desirable development
would be for the State Depart
nient to remove the passport ban
from correspondents generally.
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