811.91261/4–1146: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:51 p.m.]
1146. Experiences of newspaper correspondents in Moscow over past 12 days has shown that relaxation of censorship procedure as reported in Embassy’s 998, March 30 has become definitely established. Not only are correspondents called by telephone from Censorship Bureau when stories are either killed in toto or censored in part but they may request to see copy of censored despatch before it is telegraphed.
The one remaining difference which now exists between procedure followed today and procedure followed when despatches were censored by Press Department Foreign Office is that now correspondent has no means of communication with censor and thus no opportunity to discuss or plead with him on changes made. Correspondents have requested to Foreign Office in writing that they be permitted to communicate with censors but so far no answer has been received.
It is suggested Department may wish to inform home offices in Washington of correspondents about present procedure as explained above.83
- For the remarks made on this subject of “blind censorship” by a spokesman of the Department of State, released to the press on April 17, see Department of State Bulletin, April 28, 1946, p. 731.↩