Indo-China's Other War

During the war for Indo-China, the press corps has been waging an underground battle of its own. Last week it erupted in an open fight, as 21 war correspondents at Hanoi signed a petition to Commanding General Henri Navarre. Said the petition: "We . . . have been restricted unnecessarily to official briefings, which, while reliable, are utterly inadequate . . . Officers have been forbidden to provide information . . . Communication channels are [too] limited . . . Your policy disregards the fact that the security of the free world itself is at stake [and that] peoples of the free world have an inalienable right to full information consistent with military security on which to base the grave decisions they may soon be called upon to face."

Some of the blame for poor coverage in Indo-China lies with the press itself, which until recently has shown a marked indifference to the struggle there, sent few correspondents to cover it. But French officialdom consistently blocks reporters who are on the ground. Correspondents are well aware that in war, special security precautions must be taken. What irritates them is that the French have made little effort to develop a system to suit the circumstances. The public-information officers, selected from the army, usually know little about how reporters and newspapers work. Stories submitted to censorship are often lost, interviews are promised, then forgotten. Briefings are curt and colorless. Even so, release times are set for as long as twelve hours after briefings, making news stale by the time it appears. Army photos, the only battle pictures available, must be released first "in Paris, are often delayed for days. Furthermore, there is little coordination between the censors in Hanoi and those in Saigon, relay point for all outgoing messages; what one will pass, another may not. Press troubles in Indo-China are similar to those encountered at the beginning of almost every war. But the war there has been going on for more than seven years.

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