Navy, Army & News

After two months of confusion on the subject of Army and Navy censorship of military news, last week outlines of order emerged from chaos. Not only did the Navy reorganize its press bureau, but the Army enunciated a sensible policy on military news--a policy that stopped far short of real censorship.

Although the Navy Department is headed by a newsman, Secretary Frank Knox, not until last week did it follow the lead of the Army in heading its press section with a ranking officer -- able to make decisions on what is printable without consulting a host of superiors -- and giving him experienced newsmen as aides.

For its new press head the Navy chose Rear Admiral Arthur Japy (rhymes with happy) Hepburn, onetime Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet (June 1936 to January 1938). A saltwater sailor who has had more sea service than any other officer in the service, Admiral Hepburn knows what it is to meet the press, from his experience as delegate to London and Geneva Conferences. Still less a stranger to press problems is the new aide wangled last week for Admiral Hepburn: Hal O'Flaherty, able, genial managing editor of Frank Knox's Chicago Daily News.

O'Flaherty, now 50 (and a new lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve), has had a brawling, successful career as leg man, foreign correspondent in World War I, crack editorial executive.

Meanwhile the Army's publicity machine -- recently reorganized and topped by Major General Robert Charlton Richardson Jr. of the Cavalry -- in place of its former small Washington staff now has 29 officers. Some are reserves, some are regulars, like Lieut. Colonel Stanley Grogan, who used to be a newspaperman. It also has more than 100 in the field. Last week newsmen learned that General Richardson will be responsible to John J. Mc-Cloy, bald, bulky Manhattan lawyer and new Assistant Secretary of War (see p. 27).

On top of this, Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson announced the Army's ruling about military news: henceforth Army officers will give out no news of the arrival, departure or presence of U.S. troops in stations outside the Continental limits of the U.S.

This ruling was notably moderate. It merely laid down subjects on which the

Army itself would not speak and did not impose any censorship of the press itself.

Under Secretary Patterson made it clear that he was opposed by conviction to press censorship.

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