Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-03-05 | Page 4 | O W I Investigates Food New Leaks in Effort to Force 'Funnelling' of All Information

of I i r fOW OW I Investigates Food News Leaks in Effort l To ITo Force of All Information WASHINGTON March 5 P 1 The office of war information which claims the exclusive right to release government information pertaining to the wartime food program has started an Investigation investigation investigation gation to determine pow how low newspaper newspaper newspaper per men obtain information from other sources The probe involves the agriculture agriculture agriculture ture department and the recent publication in advance of an OWl announcement of a government decision to place ceilings on soft wheat prices and raise ceiling prices on flour milled from that hat type of wheat Information about the ceilings was obtained by an Associated Press reporter from agriculture department officials The 0 W I Ihas Ihas has protested to the department and has caused officials of the latter agency to make malte an effort to determine the names of the officials who supplied the reporter report report- er with the data Fear Propaganda News of the Investigation and the reported interdepartmental e en n t tal a 1 strife which was said to have preceded it recalled the recent contention of editors throughout through through- out the nation that official news should be made public at its original original original inal source whenever possible During the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Editors meeting here last month many members pr protested ested the funneling of news through one federal source as a threat to the free press Roy Roberts managing editor of ot the Kansas City Star and newly elected elected elected elect elect- ed A AS S N E president warned of dangerous propaganda te to n d den den- e n- n cles cies which he said he feared were inherent in any such office as as 0 OWl W I He expressed personal re respect respect respect re- re and confidence in the motives motives motives mo mo- tives and ability of 0 O W WI I Director Elmer Davis but added Whenever you try to funnel news and control it at its source you get into the field of propaganda ganda There Isn't one man in a million who can control news news' in this way without becoming involved involved involved in in- in- in In propaganda In subsequent resolutions theA theA the A ASNE S N E urged that news of ot all governments here governments here and abroad abroad- be made available at its source whenever possible and suggested that setting up of such a policy be part of any postwar International international international planning Relations between 0 W I and the agricultural department have not been since 0 W I issued I Ia a formal directive several weeks ago requiring all information pertaining per per- to food production and distribution distribution distribution dis dis- to be turned over to it for clearance and release The agriculture department had sought to maintain its own direct contact with newspaper men Since that time reporters regularly regularly regularly regu regu- assigned to the department have continued to carry out their duties there