The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-13
ON 4. P.
New York Editor Replies to
Many of the Charges
Hurled 1T the Organization
From All Sides.

Lawrence, Kan, May 13.-Oswald
G. Willard Of the New York Evening
Post, addressed today the Kansas
newspaper conference at the Univer-
sity Of Kansas. He dealt particularly
with the allegations coming from one
quarter or another to the effect that
newspapers and news agencies sup
pressed news.
..If one could believe all that one
heard" he said. "a true picture OF the
heads Of the press would portray them
perpetually behind the arras arrang-
ing some plot or other Men VINO
individuals usually wind up In the
observation wards of our hospitals.
but your next door neighbor Is priv1-
legged to believe in day and night con-
spiracies of the press without rear OF
having his sanity questioned. indeed
he may be exalted by his doubt. And
so we hear of agreements among
newspapers to ignore this happening,
to suppress that and to v1llify TINS OF
that defender Of the rights OF the peo
pie. In New York city, SO deep are the
clefts between the various newspapers
that you could never possibly get their
heads to sit down around table,
much less break bread together.
although the law has compelieo
us. of the metropolitan press. to print
the names Of all the stockholders and
bondholders for a year past, 1t did not
surprise me to read an article IN
current magazine by q distinguished
citizen Of Indiana to the erect !nat
tell the influences behind them.
have so often heard this rumor that
I have mortgaged myself 10 wan
street, with the name and address OF
the banker; that am aha,,, Suf tbrow his
nrivate books open to a Bristow or
T.aFollette. could a New York editor
hone to down this entertaining 1icllCH.
He would only hear that MS DOCKS
were doctored, or that ne was nlutne
hehind somebody else's skirts, or that
r. was the point of view of the men
he associated with that really did the
mischief-so discredited are newspa
ner managers with certain sections OF
the people and certain cioss-"eES
|cross-sections Of the politicians.
Bitter Attacks on A. p.
ere Won think I exaggerate, please
hear in mind the bitter attacks on the
Associated Press the present winter
has witnessed. 1t has been assaaleo as
a monopoly, and In one forum AFTER
another attacked as an ORGANIZED con-
that affects progress or radicalism =
with a capital p and r. Socialists, Ia
Dor men and ProgresSves anke oe.
nounce it, because it does not carry
their propaganda Negroes criticise u
only Of their crimes, and never OF their
honorable achievements. Some con-
Rressmen never fail to berate 1t when
their other hobbies are for the mo-
ment exhausted.
"Curiously enough, the bona fide
malefactors Vt great wealth equally
denounce it as an association con-
trolled by the mob, and, therefore,
fearing to tell the truth about them.
At least this was the excuse offered
by a bride giver who thought he was
buying some New York newspapers
for a trust; he merely wished to Sc
cure Justice for his client, to get their
side Of famous case into pr1nt-aIl
this when the other side of the con-
troversy was protesting that the AS
ISOLATED Press was being sold out to
the trust With the Associated Press
it is truly a case Of being damned If
you do and damned If you don't. 1t
is berated by Catholics for being sub
sidized by Professionals at the moment
that anti-Catholics are sure that they
have convincing proof that the head
of the Associated Press draws a post
office order for $268.75 q month from
the pope in Rome.
Hunting Mares Nests.
mo amount of iteration seems to
make anybody understand that II
there are grave defects in the Asso-
ciated Press the fault lies with the S95
newspapers which comprise its men,
bership: that it Is a cooperative or
ganiZation, which makes no money
profits. and is Argus-eyed in that each
newspaper is watching the service,
ready to make the telephone bells tin
gle IL a happening is overlooked or
anything improper Is put over the
wires; that there are hundreds of hon
est newspaper men in the Associated
Press who would as soon sell their
wives and children as to knowingly let
any one use the service to grind an
axe or feather his nest.
1T all avails not; the answer is:
You can tell by the trend Of it that it
is capitalistic-as if there were not ev-
cry shade of opinion in the Associated
Press. It's very president is, 1 am
but of what use is that? Every man
with propaganda to further is con-
WINGED, II his copy is rejected, because
1t is argument or assertion, and not
news, that he has tilted against the
stone wall of corrupt wealth. 1 per-
sonally have examined one mares
nest after another only to find that
each was due to ignorance of the
technique of the profession or Of the
facts. Most of them would never
have been heard Of had the suspicious
ones gone to headquarters to inspect
the records. 1t is only in the tenth or
one-hundredth case that have found
it goes without saying that have yet
to learn of a constructive suggestion
as to something better to take the
place of the Associated Press
THEY Want TO KNOW