(4)

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WITH SECRETS, SONNENFELDT'S COMMENTS -- REPORTED IN A CABLE SUMMARIZING HIS REMARKS -- WERE PROMOTED TO THE STATUS OF "DOCTRINE," THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY WERE GIVEN IGNORED, AND THEIR MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE DISTORTED.

THEY WERE GIVEN MORE SPACE IN THE NEWSPAPERS OF RECORD THAN THE SAN FRANCISCO SPEECH AND IT HAS LED TO MUCH SPECULATION, THOUGH MUCH BETTER UNCLASSIFIED VERSIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

IN THIS CONNECTION, WE HAVE SEEN A NEW AND INTERESTING INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUE EMERGE IN THE APPEARANCE OF MEMORANDA OF CONVERSATION EITHER SUBMITTED TO CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS OR LEAKED.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? AN INDIVIDUAL RECORDS HIS VERSION OF A CONVERSATION. IT IS, NATURALLY, ONE-SIDED; IT IS NOT SEEN BY THE OTHER PARTY TO THE CONVERSATION; IT REFLECTS THE WRITER'S PERCEPTION AND STATE OF MIND ALONE; IT CONTAINS NO DESCRIPTION OF THE AUTHOR'S MOTIVES; AND IT IS LIKELY TO

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REFLECT A TENDENCY WE SOMETIMES SEE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT
TO PUT DOWN WHAT THE WRITER WISHED HE HAD SAID, AND WHAT
HE HOPED TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER FELLOW. AS DEAN ACHESON
SO OFTEN REMARKED, HE NEVER SAW A MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
IN WHICH THE AUTHOR LOST THE ARGUMENT.

I HAD PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THIS WHEN A FORMER
NAVAL OFFICER CLAIMED TO HAVE RECORDED, IN AN ARCANE SYSTEM
OF CODE, BOTH HIS OWN WORDS AND THOSE SUPPOSEDLY SPOKEN TO
HIM. INCIDENTALLY, AS FAR AS THE ACCURACY OF THE OFFICER'S
CODED RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT I SUPPOSEDLY SAID TO HIM IS
CONCERNED, I AM BEGINNING TO SUSPECT THAT HE LOST THE KEY TO
THE CODE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE.

I RAISE THESE POINTS NOT TO ARGUE THAT THE FASCINATION
WITH LEAKED DOCUMENTS HAS SOMETIMES LED THE PRESS TO DO LESS
THAN JUSTICE TO INFORMATION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE -- ALTHOUGH
I BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE. I RAISE IT FOR MORE FUNDAMENTAL
REASONS.

(H)

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IF THERE IS TO BE OPENNESS WITHIN GOVERNMENT, IF THERE IS TO BE DEBATE, AND IF MEN AND WOMEN ARE TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY WHAT THEY THINK AND DEFEND WHAT THEY BELIEVE, THEN THEY MUST BE PERMITTED SOME MINIMUM DEGREE OF PRIVACY. IF EVERY DRAFTER OF A CABLE MUST EXPECT THAT HE MAY BE CALLED PUBLICLY TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS VIEWS, IF HE BELIEVES THAT HE MAY HAVE TO DEFEND HIMSELF LATER IN EXCRUCIATING DETAIL FOR WHAT HE WROTE, IF EVERY CONVERSATION IS SUSPECTED OF BEING THE SUBJECT OF A MEMORANDUM, THEN MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION WITHIN GOVERNMENT WILL WITHER AND WE WILL BE LEFT WITH A DULL AND LIFELESS BUREAUCRACY UNPREPARED EVER TO TAKE A CHANCE.

FINALLY, YOU ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE FEROCIOUS DEDICATION TO NEWS GATHERING WHICH BEN HECHT PORTRAYED IN "THE FRONT PAGE." MANY OF THE ATTITUDES AND TECHNIQUES HECHT SAW IN AN EARLIER ERA ARE NOW WITH US AGAIN. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING IS ONCE AGAIN THE VOGUE. I DO NOT OBJECT

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TO THAT FACT -- AT LEAST NOT TOO MUCH -- PROVIDED THERE IS
ALSO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING PROCEEDS
FROM THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL, NEW
FACTS TO BE DISCOVERED AND BROUGHT TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION.

IN FOREIGN POLICY THAT IS RARELY THE CASE.

EFFECTIVE JOURNALISM, IN THE AREA OF FOREIGN POLICY
AT LEAST, IS NOT MEASURED SO MUCH BY THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION
DISCOVERED AS BY THE WEIGHT OF SUPERIOR ANALYSIS.

THESE "FRONT PAGE" TECHNIQUES, APPLIED IN THE FOREIGN
POLICY FIELD, MAY SEEM TO SUCCEED. WHAT APPEAR TO BE NEW
FACTS MAY, INDEED, BE BROUGHT FORTH AS MORE AND MORE CLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS ARE LEAKED. BUT I WOULD CONTEND THAT TOO OFTEN
THESE ARE LIKELY TO BE NEW ONLY IN APPEARANCE, AND TO ADD
LITTLE OR NOTHING TO THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC. IN-DEPTH REPORTING AND ANALYSIS, ON THE OTHER
HAND, CAN TRULY SERVE TO EDUCATE THE NATION ON THE CRITICAL
ISSUES OF THE DAY. A RECENT SERIES ON SALT CARRIED IN A

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WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER, FOR EXAMPLE, REPRESENTED A FIRST CLASS PIECE OF ANALYTIC JOURNALISM. IT WAS A DEEPLY INSIGHTFUL SERIES, AND YET IT UNEARTHED NOT ONE NEW "FACT" VIA THE USE OF LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. NO AMOUNT OF "FRONT PAGE" DIGGING COULD HAVE PRODUCED IT. NOR COULD LEAKED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS HAVE DONE SO -- NO SINGLE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT WITH WHICH I AM FAMILIAR CONTAINS THE INFORMATION, MUCH LESS THE INSIGHT, CONTAINED IN THESE ARTICLES. IT WAS, IN SHORT, A WORK OF THE MIND, AND WE NEED MORE OF IT.

THE LAW OF THE SEA NEGOTIATIONS NOW UNDERWAY IN NEW YORK ARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE. WITHOUT DOUBT, THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS GENERATION. THE OUTCOME WILL AFFECT THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOOD OF NATIONS FOR YEARS TO COME, AND WILL ESTABLISH THE WAY IN WHICH WE USE THE SEAS AND THEIR RESOURCES FOR A CENTURY AT LEAST. YET THOSE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NO PRESS COVERAGE, WHILE FAR MORE TRANSITORY EVENTS ARE REPORTED

ON DAILY IN EXQUISITE DETAIL.

BUT LEST I BE MISUNDERSTOOD, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE MEDIA'S NEED FOR RELIABLE AND TIMELY SOURCES OF INFORMATION. OF COURSE, FEW CONTEMPORARY WRITERS HAVE QUITE THE PROBLEM THUCYDIDES HAD. THAT POOR MAN WROTE THE HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WARS -- WITHOUT EVER KNOWING THAT THE ISSUE OF WHO WON WOULD HAVE TO AWAIT THE DECISION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1976.