Office of the Historian

Department of State Departmental Announcement No. 920

restricted
[Washington,] December 29, 1947.

Directive Concerning Publicity Relating to Joint Canadian–United States Defense Plans and Operations

In order to inform personnel of the Department regarding the policy and procedure governing publicity relating to joint Canadian–United States defense plans and operations, and to provide the information necessary to insure conformity thereto, the covering directive is quoted herein.

The Secretaries of State and Defense have agreed that a uniform and clearly defined policy and procedure shall apply in connection with publicity relating to plans and operations jointly conducted by Canada and the United States or conducted by either country in the territory of the other. This directive will be followed by all personnel of the Department of State.

1.
It is considered a fundamental principle that Canadian–United States defense arrangements should, within the limitations necessarily imposed by the requirements of military security and in the light of the international situation, be made known to the peoples of the two countries. Apart from the fact that secrecy is counter to the traditions of the United States and of Canada, the strength of the defense arrangements depends in the last analysis upon their general acceptance and support by the two peoples. Again undue secrecy has led occasionally to sensational stories in the press—stories embarrassing to the two Governments and harmful to the joint defense program.
2.
It is therefore the policy of the United States and Canadian Governments that simple factual announcements should be issued at an early stage in the case of those projects which can be classified as “Unrestricted” from the point of view of military security and of the international political situation.
3.
Such public announcements must always have the approval of both the United States and Canadian Governments.
4.
The primary responsibility for such public announcements rests with the country whose territory is utilized in connection with the project in question.
5.
Each project must be examined on its own merits in so far as possible publicity is concerned and must be reviewed in terms of military [Page 115] security (which is for determination by the United States National Military Establishment and the Canadian Department of National Defense) and of the prevailing international political situation (which is the province of the Canadian Department of External Affairs and the United States Department of State).
6.
To implement the foregoing policy and procedure the State Department and Military Service members of the U.S. section of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, U.S.–Canada, are designated to consider each case that may arise concerning possible publicity relating to U.S.–Canadian plans and operations. The members will:
(a)
review, along the lines indicated in paragraph No. 5 above, each U.S.–Canadian defense project;
(b)
ascertain the views of the Canadian Government concerning possible publicity relating to the project;
(c)
decide, in so far as the United States is concerned, whether such publicity would be in accord with the policy described in paragraphs Nos. 1 and 2 above; and
(d)
if so, determine (in cooperation with the appropriate Canadian authorities) to what extent, at what time, and by whom the publicity should be issued.
7.
The members of the U.S. section of the Board will normally deal with the representatives of the press through their respective public relations officers.
8.
Officers of the several departments, including those in the press or public relations units, will submit to the senior Board member of their Department (the Canadian desk officer in BC is the State Department member of the Board) for review, as specified in paragraph No. 6 above, any draft publicity releases or announcements which it is desired to issue and any other matters relating to publicity on U.S.–Canadian defense arrangements (e.g. visits of newspapermen to the far north, furnishing of “background” information to the press, et cetera).
9.
Officers of the several departments, including those in the press or public relations units, will not communicate with the Canadian Embassy at Washington or with officials of the Canadian Government at Ottawa concerning publicity matters but will address themselves only to the senior Board member of their Department.
10.
It is the purpose of this directive to further the national security in general and to coordinate the joint responsibilities of the National Military Establishment, the Department of State, and the Canadian Government. Officers are therefore particularly cautioned against giving the press the impression that they would be willing to release information about a given project but that another Department or the Canadian Government has refused to agree.
11.
This directive is effective immediately.