Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-01

vance by the German, frenCn, i'"ii"'
and Russian governments, and as a re-
suit it has come to be common for Euro
pean capitals to get tho iIrst news OF con
t~inental events through Associated Press
reports cabled back from New YORK
BENEFIT OF Till SYSTEM.
one beneficial result coming from this
more dire relationship Is to he found In
the minimizing of the Ill effect OF the
| occasional outbreak of some utterly I'M
| consequential German, French, English
| or Japanese yellow" sporadically abus'
ing the United States and its people.
Formerly profound significance OF a
widespread hostility was attached 10
such outpourings. with the closer under
standing that comes from more intimate
knowledge, we now understand the rcla-
tive importance of the newspapers on
other countries as we are abb to weigh
and grade our own
The disadvantage of lack OF news touch
Is strikingly apparent in the relations of
the United States with the Central ana
South American nations. These countries
secure their news Of the United States by
way of Europe and it consists mainly of
murders, lynchings and entertainments.
The antipathy to the United states by the
people OF these countries is undoubtedly
largely due to the false perspective given
by their newspapers. If in truth we were
the kind Of people they are led to believe
we are they would be fully justified in
their attitude.
1t has been the aim OF those intrusted
with the management OF the Associated
Press to secure as its representatives.
both at home and abroad men OF high
character and attachments, and It may,
l think, be fairly assumed that the
reputation for accuracy and fairness hat
Its service enjoys is largely to he at
tributed to an unusual measure OF sue
cess in this endeavor.
ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CRITICISM.
While the Associated Press is general
ly held In good esteem, l woul not he
understood as Indicating hat il has been
exempt from criticism aud attack.
If in a campaign all the candidates, or
their managers or press agents did not
accuse the Associated Press OF the
g~rossest ~partisanship as against the
particular candidacy in which they were
interested, those bearing the RESPONSE
bilities OF the service would feel con-
WINGED that something was radically
wrong and would look with suspicion on
the report themselves.
This is but human nature. During the
last campaign for the presidential
nominations every candidate either in
person or by proxy expressed his con-
viction that the Associated Press was
favorable to somebody else.
Mr.. Wilson's press agent asserted that
our service was 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 a fair show and Mr.. Roosevelt was
firm in his conviction that he avenues
of information had been choked to his
disadvantage.
OF course later we know that Mr.. VIII
son does not share the only-for-publica-
ton views of his press agent and Speak
err Clark Is as emphatic in his with
travail as in his hasty charges. Mt.
Taft's managers realize that the Asso-
c1abd Press cannot report speeches that
he does not make, and Mr.. Roosevelt
must see a humorous side to the sug-
gestion that any one has .interfered with
his getting a fairly adequate represen-
tation on the first page
GENERAL MISUNDERSTANDING.
With all this, however. goes a funda-
mental misunderstanding of the func-
tons of the Associated Press. The indi
vidual correspondent or reporter for a
given newspaper or a small group OF
newspapers having a common bias may
be permitted to indulge in partisanship
or in propaganda.
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 rs
We may want It to happen. Intensely n.
It's management may sympathize with
any movement, no propaganda In it's be-
half can be tolerated. Very iealously in
deed does the membership guard against
their agency going outside its allotted
duties and argus-eyed is the censorship
of every handler OF our copy"
1t is not, naturally, to be claimed that
no mistakes are made. They are made
and will be made. But in the very ma
ture Of the business, with the heart so
va" Npci ihN ittNt utltCllOH very
swiftly follows, and the mistakes are
few and far between.
The desire to enlist the Associated
Press in propaganda or advocacy is
usually to be found at the bottom OF
criticisms Of its service. .,dded to thi.
often is INSTRUMENTATION a. to the real
facts and sometimes, though happily
rarely, actual malice.
The service from Russia, for example,
has been harshly c~riticlz d by some who
thought that the province Of the Asso-
ciated Press was to undertake "A crusade
against the Russian government because
OF its anti-Sem!tic attitude. Our theory
OF our obligations is that We should re-
port the facts Is they occur, without
fear or favor. but that 1t is no part OF
our duty to draw indictments save as
the facts alone are da,nning.
CASE OF THE KOREANS CITED.
The case OF the Koreans charged with
Terauchi has recently been much dis.
cussed.
These Koreans were almost al! con.
verted Christians and the American mis-
sionaries in KoreI were naturally in.
tensely interested in the matter,
1t was freely alleged that the Asso-
c!ated Press. unduly Influenced by the
japanese government, had suppressed
the fact that these Koreans had mad
confessions, duplicating American mls-
sionaries as accessories to the plot. and
had subsequently retracted these con.
fe~ssions, asserting that they had beer
extorted by atrocious torture inflicted
by the Japanese police, the intimatior