The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-28

Melville E. Stone, the general manager
of The Associated Press, has been
most strikingly exhibited. Just prio,
to the Russo-Japanese war Mr.. Stone
secured from the Tsar of Russia the
abolition of the censorship, and news
paper men still remember the remark
a BILE frankneSs with which the Rus
sian government gave out the news of
Russia's reverses in that conflict.
Orders expediting the messages of
The Associated Press were issued at
his instance by the German, French,
Italian and Russian governments, and
as a result it has come to be COM
mon for European capitals to get the
first news of continental vents through
Associated Press reports cabled back
from New York.
One beneficial result coming from
this more direct relationship is to be
found in the minimizing of the i'll eff
feet of the occasional outbreak of
some utterly inconsequential German,
French. English, or Japanese yellow
sporadically abusing the United States
and its people.
widespread hostility was attached to
such Outpourings. With the closer un-
Outstanding that comes from more in
innate knowledge, we now understand
the relative Importance of the news
papers of other countries as we are
u.
The disadvantage of lack of news
touch is strikingly apparent in the re-
lat1ons of the United States with the
Central and South American nations
These countries secure their news of
the United States by way of Europe
and 1t consists mainly of murders
lynchings, and embezzlements The an
tipathy TO the United States by the
people OF these countries is undoubt-
edly largely due to the false perspec-
tive given by their newspa pers If in
truth we were the kind of people they
are led to believe we are they would
be fully justified in their attitude.
II has been the aim of those intrusted
with the mana gement of the Assocfate ed
Press TO secure as its representatives both
at home and abroad men of high charac-
ter and attachments, and it may | think
by fairly assumed that the reputation for
accuracy and fairness that its service en-
JOYS is largely to be attributed to an I'M
usual measure of success in this en-
deavor.
While the Associated Press is generally
held in good esteem, I would not be I'M
derstood as indicating that it has been
exempt from criticism and attack.
If in a campaign all the candidates, or
their managers or press agents did not
accuse the Associated Press of the
grossest craftsmanship as against the par
ticular candidacy in which they were in
terested those bearing the responsibilities
of the service would feel convinced that
something was radically wrong and would
look with suspicion on the report them
selves.
This is but human nature. During the
last campaign for the presidential NOM
nations every candidate either in person
by proxy expressed his conviction that
the Associated Press was favorable to
somebody else.
Mr.. Wilson's press agent asserted that
our service for pro-Clark, and in the
opinion of Speaker clark we had sold
out to the Wilson people. Mr.. Taft's
managers felt that he was not being given
in his conviction that the avenues of in
formation had been choked to his disad-
vantage.
OF course later we know that Mr. Wilson
does not share the only-for-pubIicatio
views of his press agent and Speaker
Clark is as emphatic in his withdrawal
as in his hasty charges Mr.. Taft's man
ayers realize that the Associated Press
cannot report speeches that he does not
make. and Mr.. Roosevelt must see a
humorous side to the suggestion that any
one has interfered with his getting a
fairly adequate representation on the first
page.
With all this. however, goes a funda-
mental misunderstanding of the functions
of the Associated Press. The individual
correspondent or reporter for a given
newspaper or small group ofnewspapers
having a common bias may be permitted
to indulge in craftsmanship or in propa-
ganda.
This is absolutely not to be permitted
in the Associated Press. No bias of any
sort can be allowed. Our function Is to
supply our members with news, not views;
with news as it happens-not as we may
want it to happen. Intensely as it's man
agement may sympathize with any move
ment, no propaganda in it's behalf can be
tolerated. Very jealousy indeed does the
membership guard against their agency
going outside it's allotted duties and argus
eyed is the censorship of every handler
of our copy
no mistakes are made. They are made
and will be made. But in the very nature
of the business, with the heart so worn
upon the sleeve, detection very swiftly
follows, and the mistakes are few and
far between.
The desire to enlist the Associated Press
be found at the bottom of criticisms of its
service Added to this often is misinfor
nation as to the real facts and sometimes,
though happily rarely. actual malice.
The service from Russia, for example,
has been harshly criticised by some who
thought that the province of the Asso-
against the Russian government because
of its ant-Semitic attitude. Our theory of
our obligations is that we should report
the facts as they occur, without fear or
favor, but that it is no part of our duty
to draw indictments save as the facts
alone are damning.
The case of the Koreans charged with a
plot to assassinate ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Te- !
rauchi has recently been much discussed. |
These Koreans We're almost all con-
verified Christians and the American mis- !
sionaries in Korea were naturally intense |
~ interested in the matter.
1t was freely alleged that the Asso- |
ciated Press, unduly influenced by the |
japanese government had suppressed the |
fact that these Koreans had made confess |
sions, duplicating American missionaries |
as accessories to the plot, and had sub |
sequently retracted these confessions. as |
serunS that they had been extorted by
atrocious torture inflicted by the Japanese |
police, the intimation being also that the |
were in peril by reason OF |
the repudiated confessions.
Based this some of the missionary
aut horities here became much perturbed, |
and indeed of the great New York !
papers printed news and editorial articles /
cT1tciz:ng the Associated Press for the |
suppression of the matter.
As matter of fact an inspection of the |
news service received by the Associated |
Press and distributed To its members