Mr. Truman Speaks Up

British newsmen in the U.S. felt slighted: bigwig U.S. officials sometimes discriminated against them. To the White House last week, to plead the British case, went Paul Miller, the A.P.'s assistant general manager (A.P. worries that British officials might retaliate against A.P. men abroad). He found President Truman surprisingly willing to talk about the subject --for another reason.

All newsmen, said Harry Truman, have a right to equal access to the news in Washington. Then, the President added, he hoped that American newsmen would have equal access abroad.

Harry Truman obviously had more on his mind than the minor complaints of British newsmen. The same day, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes made it plain. Said Byrnes, eyeing the blacked-out Balkans: he would rather have free reporters watch the coming Balkan elections than any number of "official observers."

Two days later the results came in. Bulgaria suddenly decided to admit seven U.S. reporters who had been cooling their heels outside. Poland promised immediate entry to the three wire services, agreed to let in more newsmen later.

Last week, too, twelve French newsmen trooped happily into the White House for a courtesy call. An unsmiling President met them, snapped that he had only one thing to say: the U.S. was not getting a square deal in French newspapers. After shuffling out in a daze, the visitors set to wondering what the President was mad about.

They could recall two major incidents: 1) French newspapers once charged that Allied flyers had spared I. G. Farben fac tories (some U.S. papers had also printed it); 2) a sensational yarn that U.S. troops destroyed supplies which French civilians might have used (a story which the French were slow to correct when proved wrong). Aside from these, the French press -- as best exemplified by the Paris dailies --has been almost timid in discussing its great western ally. The further fact is that the old, rowdy prewar Paris press is either dead or sound asleep.

Since, by Government order, no paper which published with German permission could reopen, only five of Paris' prewar dailies are still in business. Their successors -- there were twelve on Liberation Day, 31 now -- are skimpy, cautious, color less. Some (the best: Combat, Franc-Tireur, Resistance) came up from the underground, and are mainly leftist and critical of De Gaulle. Newer dailies are mostly rightist, 100% pro-De Gaulle.

Last week the Paris papers, right and left, printed President Truman's slap at them. But, thoroughly polite and docile, not one cracked back.

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