SECRECY IN THE WRONG PLACE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000100090040-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: March 18, 1954
• Content Type: NSPR

OKLAHOMA CITY _OKIAHO (A.N MARCH 18,-_ 1954
Approved For Rpeas%20Q0/05/241: CIA-RDP70-00058R000100090040-7
recd me igence, nc.
OKLAHOMA CITY
OKLAHOMAN
Circ.: m. 151,320
S. 257,150
Front Edit Other
Page Page Page
Date: MAR 18 1954
Secrecy in tbc,, Wrong P10,
?ONIE American scientists have sure t
a3 that the Russians could have Dotal
a]1 the information they needed about
tin-, a single act of espionage in this ounn1-- `
In the view of these scientists the lssiais
~o~ad have acquired all the essentiallh re i-
l information simply by keeping u witfi
hat the government was releasm oftJcialdy
n the subject or by reading the ,echmc
This is a matter that elkcitefl a recenfpiegsion of concern from Allen W Dulles,
head of the Central In lli ence a envy.; lie
said he woul give a great ea to be 0b 1e
to rearm as much about the Soviet 4ioo as
the Soviet union "can learn from us by
merely reading the press." ~,
Scarcely were the words out of his uth
before a detailed catalog of Amerje @vea-
. pons in production or scheduled or 'produc-
tic turned up in Washington }' itl ut any
kind of secrecy label. Possibly the ussiaps
already were familiar with the' conferits -,of
that catalog, but the incident did un0er9pgre
what Dulles liad been talking about
It does seem a little strange that nforma-
tion should circulate so freely in t srvtal
areas whereas utmost secrecy prv$ils; in
other areas of government where ttter,eople
have every right to expect enlightei z it
3:'`rIGMA DELTA CHI, professional pur ial-
?~. istic fraternity, has pointed to a sptead-
ing tendency in government to matt thin
secrecy in matters not involvifig 'nktrnpal
security but vitally affecting the taxpa teas.
it recalls that in 1953 congressional, co-
mittees held 1,357 star chamber meetings
fro i which both press and public 'were
barred. This was 44 percent of the 3,105
congressional committee meetings held 'that
year.
Cgnsidered at these secret meetings were
such subjects of legitimate concern,;to thg
people as appropriations, expenditures, taxes
drotith relief, foreign aid, disposal of surplu.
fain products, waste in government, tariffs
flit housing and immigration.
j opinion is missing in the 1egi five pro
c jss. But public opinion can't r ,,Ln
squally disturbing is evidence,-'-14t, thi
tendency in the federal governmdt is pro
vfding an example for similar secrecy at th
lower levels of government.
CPYRGHT
,matters pgperlyt ncer~
nal,security. p,p L
Approved Fo ???'e-2000/05 21 : CI^ RDP 0-00058R000100090040-7