The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-28
m FRANZ II. MOVES.
President or the Associated Press.
wv In North American Review


Probably no Institution is NOR
widely known by name than The AS
sociated Press, and. on the other hand
a more vaguely understood by the pub
= lie generally as To its organization
q aud its functions. For whatevcl
cause this may be, that il is "A fac
Is daily apparent
The Associated Press is an associa-
ton of something over $50 newspapers
operating under u charter of tho
State OF New York as mutual and
cooperative organization for the in
tcrchange and collection of news.
Under the terms or its charter the
nor 10 make or declare dividends. and
as not to engage in The business Of
selling intelligence nor traffic i'll the
same"
In other words. 'rhc Associated Press
is simply q common ascn; of its mem
bcrs BY which they Arrange an inter
change OF the news that each collects.
and is bound ny its membership obli-
cation to contribute for the common
use OF its FELLOW members. and also
RS the agency through which reports
mestc happenings arc collected ana
distributed to the newspapers served
10y the organization.
The fact that in tic present wear
WE celebratc thc twentieth aunivcr-
sarN uc the nrst nation wide go opera.
tive and nonproiit making news gath
erinS organization in the world. seems
&c make the publication Of some thing
respecting il timely.
The Associated Press ia in no wise
the master of tho newspapers const-
tntiug it's membership. il is distinct
~ their servant.
Its board Of directors is composed
Of active newspaper men, chosen al
annual meetings by the membership
and. in All eNperience running through
twenty years Of intimate Conccuon
With tho present organization ana also
tina; OF tho older Illinois corporation
! have never known an instance in all
thc changing personnel Of boards ot
directors When there was any depar-
turc from the most rigid observance
of the highest obligations Of trustee
shlp ana disrccard OF private and sol
fish interests. Tho prcSidcnt vice
president. and members Of tho board
of directors serve without salurics
The Associated Press Of to-day IS
the outcome OF a many-Ycar struggle
between two opposing systems. ono
thtt OF news gathering concerns with
private or limited owncrship. which
dealt at arms length with newspapers
30 which thcy sold news at such pro-
III rs might be secured and ovr, which
the newspapers who bought from them
had no moro control than over tho
napcr mi.i supplying them with rrin,
paper
The other system is based OH the
theory that powerful privately
owned and controlled news gathering
agency is menace To tic press ana
people.
Determined to establish an agency
subject only 10 the control OF the
newspapers for whom it acted. In
1899 Il -ror~ OF Western mon. com
posing tho Western Associated Press
"esan light To attain this end and
--siivc that time 4 contest between those
two opposing principles has been
WaScd. In asserting that The Asso-
Vi3tcd Press as to-day constituted is
INC servant ana agent ouly OF tho
newspapers for which it acts. / have
no thought of minimizing the tremen-
dous Importance OF the work il does
rs such an agent. but wish simply TO
EMPHASIZE the thought that. property
speaking, il has no entity OF its own
no mission save TO serve it's members.
iis members are scattered IRON tho
.Atlahtic 10 the Pacific, from Canada
y" the Gulf, aud represent every nos
tihlo shade OF political belief -..licious
latin. AMI economic sympathy. IT is
ooNions that Tie Associated i'ress can
haze no partisan nor facttonal bias.
10 religious afiiliation, no capitalistic
aor pro-jabor trend
It's function is simpIy 10 furnish its
members Will truthful. clean. com
pHchcnsiNe, uonpartisan--and This in
lts broadest senso-seport az tile news
"t the world ~ cNpcditiousIy as is
compatible win accurac. and az eco
nouiicaliN rs possible
10 do this ..ife newspapers compos-
iliS ITS inen'icrsi''p contribute first. the
news Of their localities. and second
weekly assessments or money .gSrc.
Eating about s3.0oc.ooo per unnun..
"ith which an extensive system a.,
leased vines is maintained ts2 .uou
lnlos Of Niro in tho daytime ma Is
"Vo 1irs OF wiie IL night. bureaus in
the principal american cities supple
hlehuns ana coilatiu= the news or
FOCAL newspapers and bureaus sor the
liE!nai collection OF news throlirnou;
the world. Tho volume Of The news
itpcEt u members VARIES greatly
i"IlGiuG from 900 words daily by tele-
@tph o. telephone TO papers able 10
ulh%e ont small amount OF .cncral
Hs"e matter TO more than $1,000
""tds daliy. or thirtS live newspaper
'oiuWns IN the moro inlportant cities
hc ncthod OF collecting foreign
1eWs '"s been greatly changed i'm re-
ei' Nears Formerly The Associates
ftas collected its fo'ei-u service in
LONDON, receiving Tie news there ~
nc I'cutcr Compauy OF tho We on
hsenry OF Germany and Of the Havas
4scncy OF France with smaller ami
a'@d agencies IN italy aud SPAN.
- he objection to tins method WAS
siat me news as received in London