Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-25


Government and the press over
restrictions imposed on the flow
of news-precipitated anew by the
Cuban criSis-is merely the con-
tinuation of a dispute that began
with the invention of the printing
press and movable type.
Nor Is there anything new in
this administrations rationaliza-
ton of its own sometimes skill
fully applied restrictions at the
source of news-that these restric-
tons are applied ''in the public
interest" A crisis. involving ma
tional security and the lives Of
fighting men, not to mention pos
sible incarceration of the worldly
makes that explanation more
plausible and difficult to chal-
lenge. But "the public interest" is
the classic justification when gov
ernments choose to suppress or
manipulate the news.
One of the early expressions Of
such justification took form in q
proclamation in 1880 by King
Charles II of England.
Whereas" it said. ut is Of great
Importance to the State, That all
News Printed and Published to the
People, as we'll concerning foreign,
as Domestic affairs. should be
agreeable to the Truth, or at least
warranted by Good Intelligence,
that the minds of His Majesty's
Subjects may not be disturbed, or
amused by Lies or Vain Reports,
which are many times raised on
Purpose to Scandalize the Govern
ment, or for other indirect Ends.
-. His Majesty hath thought
fit by this his Royal Proclamation
with the Advice of His Privy
CounciD strictly to prohibit and
Forbid all Persons whatsoever to
Print or Publish any Newsbooks.
or Pamphlets of News not Licensed
by His Majesty's Authority. :"
Milton on Truth
An opposing point of view, one
Of the earliest concepts of the
principle of press freedom, ante
dated King Charles proclamation
by 80 years or so. John Milton, in
a speech to Parliament. gave wings
to the words: And though all the
winds of doctrine were let loose to
play upon the earth, so Truth be
In the field. we do injuriously by
licensing and prohibiting to mis-
doubt her strength. Let her and
Falsehood grapple; whoever knew
Truth put to the worse, in a free
and open encounter?"
The late Judge Learned Hand,
some three centuries later, ex-
pressed Millions thought another
way: Neither exclusively. nor
even primarily are the interests
OF the newspaper industry conclu-
sive, for that industry serves one
of the most vital of all general
interests: The dissemination of
news from as many different
sources. and with as many facts
and colors as is possible. That in
terest is closely akin to, If indeed
1t is not the same as, the inter-
est protected by the First
Amendment; 1t presupposes that
right conclusions are more likely
to be gathered out of a multitude
of tongues. than through any kind
OF authoritative selection. To
many this is, and always will be,
folly; but we have staked upon it
our all. :"
The Kennedy administration is
not seeking to undermine or to at
tack freedom Of the press. News
papermen are not seeking to pry
out and publish information en-
dangering national security. Yet
the recurring clashes between
Government and the press do in
volve, If not freedom of the press
itself. the question: Freedom of
the PreSs-From What?"
Soviet Press Freedom
Soviet Russia's constitution, like
our own. guarantees freedom of
the press. But unlike the uncon-
ditional press freedom protected by
the First Amendment, Soviet press
freedom is conditioned upon CON
formity with the interests Of the
working people. and in order to
strengthen the socialist system. ="
Freedom of the press in Russia
means freedom from private con-
troll. and 1t is the Soviet govern
ment which decides what is to be
printed in conformity with the
interests of the working people,"
thus using the press deliberately
as an instrument of national
policy. Freedom of the press in
the United States means freedom
from government control, on the
theory, as Judge Hand put it,
That right conclusions are more
likely to be gathered out of a null
titude of tongues, than through
any kind Of authoritative selec-
ton"
And so 1t is that when Govern
ment begins to reinject the idea,
sometimes awkwardly and some
times by highly subtle devices,