The Press: Censorship–Maybe

A jubilant junior censor crashed into the SHAEF press room at Paris’ Hotel Scribe and shouted: “All censorship is off!”

Sure enough, before he could pack his blue pencils and shears—or newsmen could toast his departure—Press Release No. 1621 came clanking off the Mimeographs. It came from on high (the combined chiefs of staff) and was as big a surprise to most censors as to correspondents. Said 1621: “In order to clarify the position of this headquarters . . . censorship in this theater is hereby discontinued except for major troop movements . . . and such other matters of high military importance as may require reference to the Supreme Commander.”

On a second, sober look, newsmen (and censors) decided that the clarification needed clarifying. Next day SHAEF explained : continued censorship on “matters of high military importance” was not as forbidding as it sounded. Only major item now banned under this clause: interviews with Nazi bigwigs, while evidence is being gathered for their trials. Otherwise, almost anything goes. SHAEF-accredited correspondents will even be admitted to the war crime trials. Skeptical newsmen, hardened by SHAEF’s creaky, on-again-off-again press machinery, decided to keep their fingers crossed for a while.