PARTIAL TEXT OF KENNEDY'S SPEECH NEWS RESTRAINT HELD VITAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-01022R000100180002-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: April 27, 1961
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release, 2001/03/06 :CIA-RDP83-0102000100180002-3
THE y{~A,SHINGTON 5TAFt - 27 1~pri1 1961
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"S SPA ~H
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bra ~ nt e~~ ~~~al
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Following is a par to fe~~ of ,f~resa en enatec~,v s
~'~peech last night before the Bureau o/ Advertising o;f the
"pjmerican Newspaper Publishers Association in New York:
_--~-_ _-
'I want to talk about our Seclirfty Supersede~ights
common responsibilities in the ; But ~ ~ ask every publisher,
face of ,a ~ common challenge: ~,ery editor, and"' every iiev
The events of recent weeks man ~n the ' Nai:inn to re-
may have helped . to" illumine e~tamine" his oy/ri _ standards,
'that challenge for" some;- but and to recognize' the nature of .
our country's peril. In time o1
the dimensions of its threat ?.t the Government. and the
have bong ]oomed .this lasg,~ have.. customarily joined ,
or1` our horizon. ~~n" effort,-based largely on
Y.,...,,, -- --- -----~ ~-- ?-
quirements'of direct concei'ri~ _1~iy. In time of "clear and
both the press and the Pre'- resent danger," the court
de,~+t-two requirements th'~ ve held that even the piivi
r p7p,,Qile~' and fulfilled iY we public's need for national:
~~ to m etthis national peril s~cur~ty.
~`~'efer #irst, to the need for _.TodaY no war has been de-~
'
~;ti? greater publio information, closed-and however fierce the
-? and second, to the need for~far~ struggle, it may'never be de-
gr@ater official secrecy a_ ~ ,Glared in traditional fashion:
~ `" Question- of tt,estramL around>the globe. The survival
`, ~ The. vgry word `'secrecy" is of our friexids is in danger. And
xe uanant~ in a free and open yet no war has been declared,
rgpublic; 'and ' we are a's `a, no borders have been crossed,
people inherently and histoii- rip missiles have been fired.
G;~IIy opposed to secret societies, ;_ A Change in Tactics
toysecret ~ aths "and" to secret I -_A -. , . - ~--_ __-__- L_r....:: ;~
p oceedin s. Vile decided long If the press is awaiting a
slpe and unwarranted- conceal-
r~nt of pertinent facts' `far
ot~,~weighed the ,dangers which
8,~'e cited to justify it.Even
t day there is little value 'in
nosing" $lie threat of ' a cTtised
s~Ciety lsy imitating "its arbi-
trary restrictions. 'E'ven t$day,
t~iere is little value in insuring
the survival of our Nation if
o~' .traditions do not survive
~CV~tl'i it. And there is very grave
danger that ari announced need
r increased security wilt be
"
iZed upon by those anxiou
expand its m'e'aning to th
cry limits of official censor
ip' and concealment.
'-.. vur Vl'ay U1111C 1J LLL144+ wu
Those who make themselves
it poses the- self-discipline of ~
~,,~mbat conditions, then I 'can
gal.y,say, that no war ever posed
greater threat to our security.
a
.
It you are awaiting a finding
of "clear and present danger,"
t,,,en I can only say that the
danger has never been more j
Clear "and its presence has f
never been more imminent.
I4 ;it requires a change in out-
j look, a change in tactics, a j
:change in missions-by the
Government, by the people, by
every businessman, union leader
and.: ,newspaper. For we are
opposed around the world by
a monolithic and ruthless con-
spira~y that relies primarily.,on
copert means oj_ e_xpanding its
sphere of influence-on infil-
tradition instead of invasion, on
subdersion 'instead of elections,
~n intimidation .instead of free
.pl-ioice, on guerrillas by night;
.instead of armies by day." .
Every democracy recognizes
the necessary restraints of?na-
t~ional security-and t$e ques-
tion remains: whether those: re-
straints need to be more. strictly
observed if we "are to oppose
this. kind of attack as well ~s
outright ,invasion, .
_..
Our News Aids Enemy
For the. facts of the matter
are that this Nation's foes have
openly .boasted of acquiring
through our newspapers infor-
mation they would otherwise
hire- agents to acquire through
(theft, bribety or espionage;
' that details of this Nation's
covert preparations to ,counter
the enemy's cpvert operations
have been .available to every
newspaaper reader, friend .and
i'oe, alike; "tkiat .the size, .the
strength,, the location and the
nature of our forces" and
W,eapons,` arld pt1r plans and
strategy for "i!heir use, have a.ll
been pin-pointed"in the press
and other news media to a
degree sufficient to satisfy an
reign power; and that, in at
least-one case, the .publication
of details concerning a secret ~
mechanism in our possession ;
required its alteration- at the;
expense of considerable time
i and motley. ,
Security As A News Test.
In the absence of open war-
fare, they"recognized only the
'tests of journalism and not the
tests of national security. And
my-,question tonight is whether
additional tests should not now
be adopted. -
That question is for you. alone
to answer. No public official
should "answer it for you..No
Government-plan should impose
its restraining against your will.
But I would be failing in my
duty to the Nation if I did not
commend this problem to your
attention, and urge its thought-
ful consideration.
On many earlier occasions, I i
have said-and your newspa- ;
pees have said-that these are j
times that appeal to every citi-
I zen's sense of sacrifice and self-
'; discipline. They call out to i
I every citizen to weigh his rights'
and comforts against his ob-,~
ligations to thg national good.'
I I cannot now believe that those
citizens who serve in the news-
paper business consider them-
.-selves- exempt from that appeal.
_ Is It in Nationa.I Interest?
I have no intention of estab-
lishing anew. office of war in-
formation to govern the flow of
news. I am not suggesting any
new forms of .:censorship or
new .types of security classifi-
cation. Ihave no easy answer
to the dilemma I have posed,
and would not seek to impose.
~' it if I had one. But I am ask-
ing the members of the news-
! paper profession. and industry
din this country to re-examine
their own obligations-to con-
' sides the degree and the na-
ture of the present danger-
, and to heed the duty of sell-
restraint which that danger im- ~,
-poses upon us all.
EvQr~ newspaper now asks it-
}~"5b~'ds here tonight as an excuse t
to censor" the news to_ stifle ~
eY aeserve Lo xnuw.
., -.
 Approved For Release 2001/03/06 :CIA-RDP83-010228000100180002-3
~.*
news?" All I suggest is ~:
,A.mei?ica, unions 'and business-
meta and public ofxicials at
every level-will ask, the same
question of -their endeavors,
and,subject their actions to this
same. ex~eting test.
And should the . press of '
America ?consider and recom-j
mend the voluntary assumption
of _ specific new steps or ma-
chinery; Icon assure you- that:
this administration '1Vi11 co-
operate wholeheartedly with
those recommendations:
Perhaps there will be no rec-
~ ommend'ations. Perhaps there
is? ~i i ai't~'we~"'tdythe dilemma
faced b'y,a~free"and open society
ty' to Inform and AIe
of this challenge that also gives
risk to your second obligation-
an obligation which I share.
And i;hat is our obligation to
inform and alert the American ',
people--to make certain they
possess all the facts -they need,
and understand them as well-
the .perils, the prospects, the
!purposes of our program and
the,choices we face. .
No President ~" should fear
public scrutiny of his program.
For- from that scrutiny comas
understanding; and from that
understanding comes ? Support.
I am not .asking your news-
papers to su~spbrt rne, at all.
times an' the editorial page-
this is not Utopia yet:
But I am asking. your help in
the tremendous task of in-
Fforming and' alerting 'the
;American people. For I have.
~ca1t~plete confidence in the
xespai5se a:Yid dedication of our
;;citizens whenever they are
~uliy informed. '
,1 ;I .not ?only -could not stifle
~coi~.troversy afhong your,
readers-T welcome it, This
administration intends to be
candid about its errors; for, as
a' wise mane once 'said "An
error'doesn't become a mistake
until you refuse to 'correct it.''
We intend to accept full.
we expecti, you- do poxnti
out when we miss them..
the Purpose of the Press
- Without debate, without
criticism, no administration can
succeed-arid no .republic can
survive. That is why -the
Athenian lawmaker Solon de-
creed it a crime for the citizen
to shrink Yrom controversy.
'; And that is why our press was
protected by the First Amend-
ment-the only business in'
America specifically protected
by the Constitution-not pri- i
marily to amuse and entertain;
not to emphasize the trival
i and the sentimental, not simply
to "give the public what it
wants"=but to inform, . to
arouse, to reflect; to-state our
bangers and our opportunities,
to indicate -our crisis and our
choices, to lead, mold, educate
and sometimes even anger
public opinion. '
-This means greater coverage
and anal~sis of international!
news=-for it is no longer far
atiyay and foreign, but close- at
hand and local: It -means
greater attention to improved
understanding of the news as
well as improved transmission.
Arid it means, finally; that Gov-
ernment at all levels, must meet ~
its obligation to provide you ~
with the fullest possible infor-'
motion outside the very narrow
limits previously mentioned-
; and this administration intends
to meet that obligation to a
jdegree never before approach-
led.by any nation ~ t~xe__world.~
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 :CIA-RDP83-010228000100180002-3