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The Questions. Few who read further than the headlines supposed that any of those arrested were guilty of actual treason; they had perhaps been trying to force the Government's hand in China, as all Communists, as well as their friends —conscious and unconscious—have long been trying to do. The question at issue seemed to be: how far can a journalist go in divulging official secrets? Top Washington newsmen, who are constantly digging for "confidential" information, began to wonder where they stood. At his press conference, Secretary Grew admitted that the State Department often classifies material "top secret" but makes it available as background for news stories. Irritated for months by leaks, the State Department still rankled over a Washington columnist's revelation last December of a secret Churchill message to General Scobie to treat Athens as a conquered city.
It looked as if the State Department was trying, once & for all, to stop leaks from Government agencies.