DEC LASSIF IED Authority MM 5 11 For Mr Hoover from W D Mitchell 1 The files refer to a Code of Wartime Practices for the American Press and the Tribune claims that this only prohibited publication about enemy ves sels in or near American waters I would like a full copy of this code as in force June 7th Alecia copy of any amendments to it made since June 7th especially any relating to publication of information about enemy vessels 2 I would like also a copy of any Executive Order setting up the agency which issues the code for thaPress 3 The Tribune claims it was called to account by the Code authority for the publication of June 7 and the Code authority conceded the code did not prohibit the publication of June 7 because the enemy was not thenmin or near American waters H Please obtain from the Code authority the full story of this with copies of any communications between the Tribune and the Code authority and accounts of oral exchanges on the subject and the names of the Code authority who handled the matter dates etc A The statute prohibits disclosure of national defense information to any one not entitled to receive it Obviously it will be contended that the disclosure to the public was not prohibited and therefore consented to by the Code of Wartime Practices- It occurs to me that the Code had no Special rapplication to war correspondents-accompanying the armed forces and that restrictions were applied to them as a condition to being allowed in the fighting area This is suggested by Johnston's statement to the Admirals on June 8 see Par 6 hdmiral hilkinson's memo to FBI of June_13 as follows me He had in carrying out his job written a number of articles with relation to the cruise and particularly the Coral Sea Battle and had in fact remained in San Diego from Tuesday night until Thursday morning to assure completion of these ar- ticles and the transmission of them to the naval authorities for clearance as he understood his instructions and agreement Again as reported in Paragraph 7 of Wilkinson's memo Johnston said A he had told his Managing Editor when giving him the Midway story at 1 00 Sunday morning that he Johnston assumed that the story would have to be cleared with the Navy Johnston also said he was surprised at 4 00 a m to see the story in the paper Amhm yA ljZ 1JJS I suggest the facts about any Special instructions to or agreements With Johnston about clearing his story be investigated It may be the Navy has gener al regulations applicable to Press men allowed to accompany armed forces It may have given Johnston or the Tribune special instructions in writing or orally Please ascertain all the facts including information as to who if anyone gave him or his paper Special instructions requiring him to clear his stories with the Navy I would also like to know with whom he did clear his Coral Sea stories in San Diego and whether his Coral Sea stories pub- lished since June 7 and continuing up to date have been cleared with the Navy 'If you cannot get all of this information from the Navy yOu may have to go to Johnston himself and ask him who gave him the instructions about clear ing stories with the Navy to which he referred in his interview June 8 I would like this information as soon as possible so place it on the preferred list I consider the point about special instructions to clear with the Navy before publication to be verg vital Because of the ambiguity of-the Code of wartime Press Practices the case may fail unless there is definite proof of special instructions from the Navy 5 Another vital point is to complee the investigation of what occurred on the Barnett and interview every officer involved and try and learn if possible how the contents of the Nimitz'dispatch was disclosed to Johnston Also whether the Nimitz dispatch of which-I here not seen a complete copy contained anything like the word- secret or anything else which made it a confidential document Johnston's stories about how he got the contents of the Nimitz meSSage have been conflicting Anything establishing that no officer intentionally made a copy available to him would be useful Assuming a copy was left around where Johnston found it as he claims the officers aboard should be closely examined about that if it has not been already done Authorithsilil ali ya a 1 1g June 15 1942 0 A an NEWSPAPER STORE CARRIED IN CHICAGO Ann OTHER PAPERS MIDWAY BATTLE JUNE 7 1942 There appeared in the ChicagO'Tribnne Washington Times Herald New York Daily news and San Francisco Chronicle on June 1942 detailed data of a secret naval dispatch concerning the make-up of the Japanese fleet proceeding towards Midway Copies of the articles appearing in each of_these papers are attached Although the article bore a Washington date line it has been established that this article emanated from the offices of the Chicago Tribune Chicago Illinois It has been determined that the author of 'the article was reporter Stanley Johnston of the Chicago Tribune who had been aboard the USS which was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea Upon instructions from the Attorney General an investigation was initiated by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on J1me 12 194 2- Trip of B norter Stanley Johnston With the United States Fleet The Secretary of the Navy advised Admiral Nimitz by naval dispatch that authorization was granted to allow Stanley Johnston an accredited representative of the Chicago Tribune to take passage in ships of the Pacific fleet for the yarpose of obtaining news material to be-published after censorship by the Commander in Chief of the Pacific fleet In accordance with this authority Admiral Nimitz on April 14 1942 granted to take passage on the USS LEXINGTON Johnston boarded the USS LEXIEGTON at Pearl Harbor Hawaii on April 15 1942 with credentials from Admiral Nimitz and had free run of that ship at all times until it was sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea Johnston was later on the USS USS ASTORIA and USS BAENETT He arrived at San Diego California on the last named ship on June 2 1948 Upon communicating with his paper he was instructed to proceed to Chicago immediately by air which he did The article in question appeared in the-Chicago Tribune and the other three above mentioned newspapers on June 7 1942 r4 DECLASSHHED 7 Authorityum fibers is quoted hereai ter a cemperisen of the secret navel dispatch number 33 1221 sent in secret code from the headquarters of Admiral Nimitz at Honolulu to the Task Forces of the Pacific Fleet and to Navy Headquarters Washington I 0 on May 31 1942 and the article appearing in the Chicago Tribune igashington Times News and the San Francisco Chronicle on June 1942 DISPACECH Zlfco f lil Kama FROM CINCPAC INFO T0 COMINCH CINC PACIEIC FLEET ESTIMATE EIDEAY FORCE ORGANIZATION STRIKIEG FORCE FOUR AKACII KAGA 501m WW KIMSHEM TWO TONE GLISII 3 2 50mm IND GUIID I I0II0I 01E UNII VICTOR OIL CAST VIC TOR 2- 4 I ATAGG 10 DD I0II0E TAKAO DIVE DASSEIITEES EHOKOS ON ONE GEE CHIYODA TWO DASH FOUR KAUIKAWA JGIE DASH SIX AFIBEII KING EIGHT SIMIIT WIELVE AFIFJE PREP WEEK DES TROYERS APPROXBIEATELY SHEEN SAIL SAIL ON ANB SCOUTING BED DASH HAWAIIAN SECRE 2 Herald York Baily STRIKING FORCE FOUR - AND KAGA OF 26 900 OF 10 000 TONS EACH CLASS 29 000 TONS with GUNS TED 0F s 500 TON 6 1 INCH GUN SHII IE3 IROIIHS I0IICE Is DES- CII BED II SOURCE Is ONE CARRIER 0F THE CLASS 7 100 I0Ns TITO KEPJSHEILA CLASS BIXETEESHIPS I0UH NEE s Iowa TIE SUZUII 15 ems OF CALIBERS ONE CRUISER IIN DES OCCUPATION FORGE OCCUPATION 0mm IOUI 030% IELIIVED OI 8 500 I0Hs WITH OF GUNS IRIHSI0I ITS OF CLASS 00mm LINERS I0 EIGHT I0 12 SUIILI VIISSEIs IE3 FJ DECLASSHHED Authority M cf a This similarity can be identified by and explained to the court by Captain Carl F Holden of the Communications Section United States Navy Washington D C It may be noted Captain Holden explained that the phrase- ology appearing at the top of the message CINCPAC FORCE ORGANIZATION when translated from the Navy code reads as follows From the Genmander in Chief Pacific Fleet for action to all Task Force Commanders in Pacific Fleet for information to Commander in Chief United States Fleet He explained that the expression appearing about half way down the message UNIT VICTOR OR KRAI CAST means one aircraft carrier of regular construction or one converted aircraft carrier He explained that the word is a mistake and the proper word which should have appeared in the message is The letters are used by the Navy Aepartment to signify a regularly constructed aircraft carrier while the letters are used to designate a converted aircraft carrier The Navy code for single letters of the alphabet designates the word for 11 0 for and EIXMYH for Further down in the diapatch is the expression 10 DD SCREEN This expression indicates ten destroyers-which are intended to be used as a protective screen for other vessels The letter signifies the word in coded messages Near the bottom of the message appears the expression AFIRN The alphabetical code of the Navy uses and for and the letters signify a transport The next line of the message has the expression which signifies which is used for design hating supply vessels The expressibn SAIL designates 88 which means submarines Captain Holden also explained that one section of the dispatch namely that which reads et cetera was garbled in the rans- mission and the decoding officers interpreted that section to the best of their ability Interview with Reporter Stanley Johnston of the Chicago Tribune by Naval Officers Vice Admiral Russell Willson advised that reporter Stanley Johnston of the Chicago Tribune was officially on board the USS Lexington during the Coral Sea battle He ultimately reached the United States on board the USS Barnett with other survivors from the Lexington at San Diego California on June 2 1942 Johnston was authorized to sail on the LEXINGTON by the Official Naval Staff at Honolulu He was aboard the USS Barnett on Nay 31 1942 when the questioned secret message was received aboard the BARNETT At the time he was sharing a room with Commander Terry and Commander h T Seligman both survivors from the USS Lexington Vice Admiral Willson advised he interviewed reporter Stanley Johnston in his office on June 8 1942 On this occasion there were present in addition to himself Rear Admiral T S Wilkinson Vice Admiral F J Horne Rear Admiral A J Hepburn Captain -Frank E Beatty Lieutenant Commander Paul C Smith and Zr Arthur Sears Kenning Aashington correspondent of the Chicago Tribune A memorandum'prepared by Rear Admiral Wilkinson follows -                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu