1951-01-15 — Page 4

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1951.

SHARP CONFLICT OVER STORY Reuter Man Held Incommunicado By 1st U.S. Army

Extraordinary Affair Ends Strachey

STASSEN

-

HITS OUT In Overruling Of Army

AT TAFT

Washington, Jan. 14.

The prominent Republican leader, Mr Harold Stassen, as-

serted today that Senator Robert

Taft did not speak for the Re- publican Party on foreign policy. He predicted that the majority of the 47 Republican Senators would

approve sending more United States troops to Western Europe.

Eusak, Jan, 14.

Backs Up

Adenauer

Dundee, Scotland, Jan. 14.

It would be a libel on the

ment to suggest that it was Nazi Or Fascist, Mr John Strachey, Britain's War Minis-

A Reuter's war correspondent, Alex Valentine, was to- day forced to leave the United States 1st Corps Headquarters present West German Govern- after being held virtually incommunicado for 12 hours.

Restrictions were placed on Valentine after he had been denied the right to submit a news letions. story to the Eighth Army Headquarters for cen-mate Majoret

Asked sorship.

The dispute arose over a story written Valentine from the 1st Corps area about soldiers' traditional grumbles.

The Comps' Public Information Officer, to whom stories have to be submitted for security screen- ing, ruled that it could not be cicared.

Mr Stassen, president of the University of Pennsylvania and twice unsuccessful contender for the Presidential nomination, entered the raging foreign policy debate in an interview. He totally disagreed with Senate

Valentine protested that the Taft's demand that the United story contained no classified in- States cut down troop commit- formation and demanded the ments to Western Europe and right to submit it by teletype concentrate on, giving sea and or telephone to the Eighth Army air support to the Atlantic Pact censors. Army.

The Public Information Officer refused to reverse his ruling Valentine then appealed to the "He (Taft) does not represent Chief of Staff, who upheld his the Republican Party on foreiga Public Information Officer. policy," said Mr Slassen, "His

Valentine maintained that the views are contrary to the over-point at issue was not whether whelming position of the Repub-the story was, in the view of the licans in Congress and the Chief of Staff, objectionable but country. He has not represented the right of a correspondent to Republican foreign policy for 10 be allowed to submit his stories years and he does not do so

to an authorised censor. today."

The Chief of Staff replied that the contested story would not, Mr Stassen predicted that under any circumstances, be General Eisenhower would re-transmitted from the 1st Corps turn with an encouraging report to the Eighth Army, censor. on Western European progress PROTEST REGISTERED toward rearmament and forecast that 35 out of the 47 Republican

Senators would back General's recommendations.

the

censors tonight without any de-ter, said here today.

comment on the He did not doubt that it was Voorhees, a democratic Government. he Chief of the Eighth Army's said. Press Security Division, said:

byt has been my understanding that all censorship authority ex- cept that involving unit security rests with the Headquarters of policy is to avoid arbitrary ac- the Eighth Army. Our instructed

that Valentine's story be cleared to the Eighth Army, censor.

The Public Information Officer

stated that he was investigating the matter and intended to

tion."-Reuter.

speak to the 1st Corps Chief of Britain

Staff. Later he contacted Batche- lor by telephone, to state that the Chief of Staff was adamant" in his refusal to allow Valentine to submit the story, which the Chief of Staff described

scurrilous and completely un- true."

as

According to the Public In- formation Officer, the Chief of Staff declared that he would give permission for Valentine to file his story to the censor from the 1st Corps only if he was given a direct order to do so by the Army Commander.

NO FACILITIES

A few hours later Valentine was informed by the 1st Corps Public Information Officer that correspondents could no longer use telephones at the Corps Headquarters.

Challenged

.Mr Strachey was answering delegates of the local "Service Movement for Peace" and from the "Dundee Peace Committee."

Mr Strachey said he had heard nothing to suggest that former Nazi leaders should command a new German army. What had been proposed was that the Germans should make some contribution to the de- fence of Western Europe What it was to be had to ba discussed.

The Germans would not have Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan. 14. an independent military ma- Editorial articles in the press chine of their own. That was of both Right-wing and Left-precisely what was not propos- wing sections challenge Britain cd-Reuter. to organise an official plebiscite throughout Cyprus to prove the people's with for union with Greece.

Today is the first anniversary of the plebiscite held on this subject by the Greek Church,

Bid For Father's

Footsteps

The

younger Stalin, holding the rank of Lieutenant-General, is Chief of Air Forces in the

District.

Reminding the British Govern- ment that nearly 97 per cent of

Moscow, Jan. 14. the adult population of Cyprus Vassili Josipovitch Stalin; 31- voted then for "enosis" (or union year-old son of Marshal Stalin, with Greece) the papers said has been nominated a candidate that Britain should hand the for the Shelkovo District, Mos- island Valentine then telephoned the

over to Greece before cow region, at the February 18 Valentine protested that the Greece herself raises the demand election to the Supreme Soviet Eighth Army Public Information decision was Officer and demanded that he since he was the

"discriminatory" before the United Nations of the Russian Republics.

only be allowed to send his story to respondent there.

cor- Reuter: the censor. He was told that Mr Stassen, who has just re-

The Public Information Office the matter would be investigated. replied that the order had been turned from a world tour, Valentine also telephoned issued by the Chief of Staff and promised 10 help rally Re-Reuter's correspondent at the publican support for General Eighth

he could not discuss it. He was

Mexico City, Jan. 14. Army Headquarters, told, however, that if he cared Eisenhower. The question of Ronald Batchelor, asking him to

The Italian Fiat company the President's power to send take up

to submit any news stories, other will construct. a shipyard in the matter with the troops overseas

in the story only

dispute, Veracruz harbour to build Eighth Army. a

new 6,000-ton they would be transmitted to legalistic detour and should not

tankers for Batchelor telephoned the lead them from the main issue.- Public Information Officer

the Eighth Army if approved on Mexico's oil fleet, the news- to United Press.

egister a protest and a request

security grounds.

paper Ultimas Noticias report- Valentine requested the right led yesterday,

was

SHE DIDN'T GROW THERE - Displaying an avun- dance of pulchritude, Josie Guerrero sits on a willowing palm tree on the beach at San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she captured a beauty prize.

than

New Shipyard Moscow Military

10

to communicate with his In a despatch from Tampico, colleague at the Eighth Army the newspaper quoted Senator explaining the position to him. Antonio J. Bermudez, head of This was refused.

the Mexican Oil Company, as saying the long contemplated plan is about to become а reality but gave no further details. -United Press.

When Batchelor telephoned the 1st Corps and asked to speak io Valentine, he was told by the Public Information Officer that the Reuter correspondent was not allowed to speak

on the telephone.

Batchelor asked why and in what circunstances the ban had been imposed. The reply was that no further information could be given. His request to speak to Valentine personally was refused.

Reuter's Bureau in Tokyo later that night put through a call to the 1st Corps and at- tempted to speak to Valentine, but was also told that the telelphone was "restricted" and Valentine could not use it. BILLETING WITHDRAWN

In the meantime, Valentine was told that all billeting facili- ties for correspondents at the 1st Corps would be withdrawn from the following day (Sun- day).

Flu Epidemic

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jan, 14. Pont officials here have ordered a close medical check on passen- gers entering Canada because of the influenza outbreak in Eng- land. The first big job will be the examination of 666 passen- gers arriving here tomorrow aboard the Cunard liner Scythia.

-Reuter.

Reuter,

Queen's

SHOWING TO-DAY

AT 2.30, 5.15, 7.20 & 9,30 P.M.

THE BIGGEST

MUSICAL

M-G-M's

ANME GET

COLA Ú

TECHNICOLOR

Stang

BETTY HUTTON HOWARD KEEL

ORIENTAL

IR CONDITIONED

Take Any Eastern Tram Car or Happy Valley Bus

SHOWING TO-DAY: 2.30-5.30—7.30 & 9.30 P.M.

The World's best-loved story romance and song told

Valentine again pointed out that since he was the only cor- respondent at the 1st Comps Headquarters the decision ap- peared to be a move to force him out. He was again

hat it was the Chief of Staff's order and could not be discuss- ed.

The withdrawal of telephone | and billeting facilities meant hat Valentine could no longer aport from that sector and he was, therefore, compelled to leave.

The disputed story, brought back to the Eighth Army by Valentine, was immediately passed by the Eighth Army

long remember!

tuned to laughter, A picture your heart will

DISNEY'S

CINDERELLA

Vider by

TECHCOLOR

Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.