The chronicle=news., 1913-04-28

licyc we are they would h. fully Jus.
Titled In their attitude.
II has been the ain Of those IN,
trusted with the management OF The
Associated Press to secure rs It's
Representatives both u; HON" aud
abroad men OF high character and
aiininm"nts aud II may. | think. b"
fairly assumed tina, the reputation
for accuracy and fairness that It's
Service enjoys Is largely to De NJ
itribu'cd to an unusual measure Of
success In this -nd.avor.
While TIL" Associated Press L.
generally held In good esteem.
would not he understood a. indicai.
Ing that II has been exempt from
icriilcism and attack
II In n campaign all III" candidates
or their managers or press agents
did not accus" I'll. Associated prcyl
% the rross.si par'lsanship as
against the particular candidacy In
which they were Interested. those
bcaroiuI til" responsibilities OF tn"
service would feel convinced that
someihin: was radically wron. and
would look with suspicion on the re-
port themselves.
! This Is but human nature. During
the last campaign FOR til. Presid"n-
iiaI nominations every candidate
either In person or by proxy cS-
pressed his conviction that TIL. AS
ISOLATED Press wls favorable to some
body 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. Tnrt's managers felt that he was
not being given n fair show aud Mr..
Roosevelt was firm In his conviction
that the avenues Of information had
been chokcd to hi, DISADVANTAGE,
or course later We know that Mr.
Wilson does not shar. the only-for-
publication views OF his prrss agcn.
aud Speaker Clark IL as emphatic In
his withdrawal u In his has;y cliarg-
80. Mr.. Taft's managers realize tina,
The Associated Press cannot report
speeches that hn does no, make. aud
Mr.. Roosevelt must sec u humorous
side to the uggcstinn that any Que
has intcrfcrcd With his getting u
fairly adequate representation ON tho
first page.
with all this, howcN".. goes Il fun
1amrntal misunderstanding Of the
functions Of The Associated Press
The individual correspondent or re-
porter FOR u given newspaper or u
small group OF ncwspaprrs layin; -
common bias may he permitted Ia
indulge In partisanship or III proDa.
ganda.
This Is absolutely rot to be per
nittcd in The Associated Pres Nc
bias OF any sort can be allowed. ON
function is to supply our members
with news. not views: with news n.
II huppcns-not us We may want II
to happen. Intensely as it's manage
mcut may sympnthiZc with an!
movement. no propaganda In It's be
half can be tolerated. Very jcalousl,
indeed does the membership guar,
against their agency going outsid'
Its allotted duties and argus-eyed /.
the censorship Of every handler o
our copy.
II is not, naturally. TO be elaine,
that no mistakes are made. The,
are made and will he made. But t,
the very nature of the business. will
the heart so worn upon the sleeve
detection very swiftly follows. an,
| tho mistakes arc few oul far hn
tween
The desire to enlist The .Associat
ed Press In propaganda or advocac,
is usually to be found ut the bottom
Of criticisms of its service. Added II
this often Is misinformation as to til
real facts and sometimes. though
happily rarely. actual malice.
The service from Russia. for exam
pie. has been harshly criticized b.
some who thought that the provinc
of The Associated Press was to I'm
dcrtake Il crusade against the Rus
sian Government because OF it's anti
Semetic attitude. Our theory of on
obligations Is that we should reDor
the facts as they occur. without fca
or favor. but that It is no part OF on
duty to draw indictments save rs tn
facts alone are damning.
The case of the Koreans charge
with a plot to assnssinate Governor
General Tsrauchi has recently bee
much discussed.
These Koreans were almost nj
converted Christians and the Amcri
lcan missionaries I'm KOrpp wpre nat