THE NEWS “SCOOP”

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1945, Page 6

THE NEWS “SCOOP”

A BREACH OF CONFIDENCENEW YORK, May 9. General Eisenhower sent a nl( j S " sage to the Executive Director of the Associated Press of America (MrKent Cooper), saying that Mr. Ed. Kennedy was suspended because ol a self-admitted deliberate violation or S.H.A.E.F. regulations and'a breach of confidence. An investigation was continuing. The Associated Press says: General Eisenhower gave no report of Mr. Kennedy’s side of the story. In the absence of any direct first person report from Kennedy, Cooper has forwarded General Eisenhower’s reply to Associated F'ress headquarters in Paris, adding: “Kennedy: The message received from General Eisenhower does not contain your reply, for which I asked in the interests of fair play. If you are permitted to give your reply please rush it.” Mr. Edward Kennedy issued a statement saying: “I saw the representative of the existing German Government sign the agreement of unconditional surrender, I was informed by the representative of S.H.A.E.F. Public Relations, that although no military security was involved, the S.H.A.E.F. Public Relations intended to suppress this news from the public until later. I informed the representative of S.H.A.E.F. Public Relations I couldn’t accept this view since it had been conceded no military security was involved. I intended to send the story. I sent the story.” The Associated Press points out that Kennedy distributed the state‘ment to S.H.A.E.F. and correspondents of the Paris F'ress. The Associated Press’s previous efforts to contact Kennedy failed. Kennedy is still not permitted to communicate directly with his home office. Kennedy, earlier through a Paris oflice message denied he had admitted any breach of confidence. Mr Kent Cooper announced he appointed Mr. W. E. Gallacher as act-ing-Chief of the Associated Press Bureau in Paris, succeeding Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Cooper explained this action was taken without prejudice to Mr. Kennedy pending a full investigatlOll. * n/T T -1 The President of the A.C.M.E. News-Pictures, Fred Ferguson, sent a telegram to Kent Cooper asking the Associated Press to state publicly its official attitude on the future military secrets and other confidences. Mr. Ferguson said unless a statement were forthcoming, JA.C.M k E. would propose the dissolution of the news picture pool, under which American news picture services combine their resources in war zones. Mr. Ferguson added that otherwise A.C.M.E. couldn’t share any responsibility for the action of any Associated Press photographers in the war zone through the pool. Ferguson’s telegram added: “It is inconceivable to me that you as one of the leaders in demanding the freedom of the Press, in the conduct of international affairs would fail also to recognise to the fullest degree the responsibility of the press. To my mind, no scoop is worth undermining the very foundation of honest journalism. If individual correspondents are to lie permitted to decide for themselves on the spot whether they will or won’t observe confidence then the entire journalistic structure which has been so carefully built up for coverage of national and international affairs is destroyed. I don’t see how there can be held any further White House conference, nor how members of Cabinet, representatives or any foreign government can speak freely before a Press confer' ence if an Associated Press man is present.” ■ Responding to the request from the New York “Herald-Tribune’s” Vice-President, Mrs. Helen Reid, that he make a statement, Mr. Kent Cooper said: “The observance of all obligations voluntarily assumed is, always has been, and will continue to be the cardinal principle of the Associated Press and its employees, but there will be no prejudgment of Edward Kennedy by me. I have not yet had the advantage of a personal meeting with him or military authorities to obtain the detailed information, I should like to have. That any implication and and prejudice whatever is indicated by this statement, would be entirety unfair.” LONDON, May 9. Brigadier-General Frank Alien, Director of Public Relations at S.H.A.E.F., in a statement said: Ihe negotiations were of the utmost secreey, because of the great difficulty due to the distance, of exactly co-or-dinating action with the Russian Army, so that unconditional surrender could be simultaneous on the eastern and western fronts. The fact that the Germans were desperately trying to create misunderstanding between the Russians and the Allies intensified the need for secrecy. They as late as May 6, broadcast their intention to negotiate with the Allies in order to gain time and strength for a battle against the Russians, General Eisenhower accordingly gained from the Russian High Command authority to act in accepting unconditional surrender on all fronts. The understanding was he was to observe the greatest secrecy and make no announcement of any kind until the Russians were satisfied through later more formal contact with the German Command that the surrender was genuine and did not represent merely an additional attempt to gain advantages at their expense. Because of these considerations and the saving of American lives General Eisenhower was doubtful of the propriety of admitting any individual at the meetings except those officially connected with them, but on earnest representations, that no newspapermen would release information concerning the proceedings until authoiised., tie allowed seventeen Pressmen to .witness the proceedings. Brigadier Allen added: “I personalty pledged every correspondent on his honour not to communicate the result of the conference or its existence before the respective governments announced the fact.” All observed this pledge except Mr.. Kennedy, of the Associated Press, who used unauthorised channels in order to commit a deliberate violation. General Eisenhower was placed in the position p of having broken an understanding with his Russian Allies for which reason he feared the entire chain of negotiations, involving a later meeting between the Russian and Gernjan Allied Commands, might break down, prolonging the war. General Eisenhower asked me to express to all other newspapermen his great gratification that, with this exception his confidence in the Press had not once been violated in the three years of his command.”

LONDON, May 10. It is revealed that from 4 a.m. on May 5, member newspapers of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association ceased using the American Associated Press Service and disconnected ticker equipment in their offices. The .journal World’s Press News, says it is believed that the position developed principally, but not solely, because of the false surrender story on April 29, which came from the American Senator Connally. This story caused a great deal of trouble in London offiCeS‘ NEW YORK, May 10. The President of the American As-

sociated Press, Robert McLean, stated: “The American Associated _ Press profoundly regrets the disrtibution on Monday of the report of the total surrender in Europe, which investigation now clearly discloses was distributed in advance of S.H.A.E.F. authorisation. The whole long honourable record of the Associated Fress is based on its responsibility as to the integrity and authenticity or the news and its observance of the obligations voluntarily assumed, as appropriately affirmed by Kent Cooper, yesterday.