The Press: Life in a Fishbowl

When General Lucius D. Clay laid down his "goldfish bowl" policy on news from the U.S. zone in Germany, the press applauded. "In case of doubt," Clay told Army public-relations officers last November, "give out the information. Don't hold it back."

Last week the policy was apparently reversed. A new directive provided for censorship of occupation news at the source. It covered unclassified matters "not of public interest or of a privileged nature." And individual officers were to decide what was of public interest. Newsmen promptly howled that this meant news would be suppressed. At week's end General Clay said the directive had been misinterpreted: only private correspondence such as letters from Congressmen would be withheld. But even as he spoke, the Air Force threw a curtain of secrecy around its European operations. Correspondents were left to wonder: Who threw the mud in the goldfish bowl?