Press: First Thaw in Alaska

Last week, for the first time since Dec. 7, Alaska's handful of 10¢, six-page dailies were permitted to regularly print official U.S. Navy communiqués.

This was a big concession by the incredibly tough Alaskan censorship. Under the rules concocted by the Alaska Defense Command, no news of their front-yard Battle of the Aleutians was printed for Alaskans until 48 hours after it appeared in the States. When Vice President Wallace had spoken of the imminent danger of an attack on Alaska, Army Signal Corps censors at Seattle refused to let the Alaskan press report it.

All Alaska—and Japan—could hear the forbidden news merely by a twist of a short-wave radio dial. Alaska newspapers were forbidden to mention Dutch Harbor casualties until survivors landed in Seattle last week, 22 days after the event.

One Alaska publisher journeyed to Seattle and San Francisco to appeal to General DeWitt's Fourth Army Command.

Snorted an Army officer: "Alaska is a combat zone. Don't you know there's a war going on?" Answered the publisher: " "I do. But my readers will forget it if you won't let me tell them about it."