Evening star., 1915-03-15
NEWSPAPER EDITOR I
REGISTERS PROTEST.
c. R. Miller of New York Times
Objects to Governmental !;
Investigations. .aN
TENDENCY TO PUT PRESS I:
UNDER SORT OF DURESS
Examined Before Senate Ship Lobby
Committee, He Questions Its =.
Right to Put Queries.


Vigorous protest against thhe 'ten-
dency OF governmental Investigations
to place the newspapers OF the coun-
try under a sort OF duress" was made
today by Charles r. Miller, editor-in-
chief OF the New York Times. before
the Senate ship lobby investigating
committee. Chairman Walsh had oues-
toned Mr. Miller at length as to edi
torials and news stories in HIS paper
bearing on the ship bill. trust prosecu-
tions and railway mail pay. After his
examination Mr.. Miller questioned the
authority OF tho committee TO inquire
as to many of the matters discussed.
and said:
II can see no ethical. moral or legal
right in this committee to ask mo
many of the questions you have put to
me. 1t seems to me ii would be right
for you to inquire whether I know OF
any improper activities In connection
told you l know of none. There. II
seems to me. the matter should have
ended.
Felt Constrained to Protest
The tendency Of continued inquiries
along the lines of this investigation. it
seems to me, would be to reduce the
press Of the United States to the con-
dition of the press of some OF the cap
itals of central Europe, where IT Is
known as the reptile press. where II
crawls on its belly to the foreign OF
flee and the government officials every
day to get its orders This continued
Investigation, 1 believe. is kind of in
fringement OF the liberty of the press
1t puts the newspapers OF the country
under a kind of duress could not
let this occasion pass without entering
my protest against IT.
After Senator Walsh had questioned
Mr.. Miller as to several editorials In
the Times, and the Information on
which they were based, he compared
an article as published in the Times
with articles in other New York pa
The article disclosed that there were
no sailings from New York to England
scheduled for a week. The Times ar
ticle, while it appeared on the first
page, Senator Walsh pointed out. was
shorter than those of the other pa
pers.
Impresses Fact War Exists.
This article would impress tho pub
lie with the fact that there were no
shipping facilities, would It not!' he
| asked.
"It would impress the public with the
fact that there was a war" replied MI.
Miller There may be many mechanical
or other reasons for the position OF that
| item. besides a narrow and crooked soul.
There can be no possible implication that
the Times wanted to minimize its fnpor-
| lance"
| Senator Walsh asked why the Times
had not printed an account Of the testi-
mony Of P. A. s. Franklin Of the Inter
national Mercantile Marine before the
committee. Mr.. Miller said he knew moth
ing of the matter.
IT must protest." he continued, .agatnst
any attempt to indicate or fnsinuate that
there has been any effort to suppress or
to accord with our opposition to the ship
ping bill.
The nature Of your questions indicates
that you have a suspicion that we per-
vert the physical appearance OF the
Times to accord with the policy ex-
pressed in its editorial columns.
News and Editorials Separate.
Nothing could be more erroneous or
more utterly without foundation. We
endeavor to make the news columns re-
fleet the news Of the day as 1t occurs.
The editorial columns go their way and
the news columns go theirs"
Mr.. Miller told the committee the
Times editorials on the shipping bill
We're based upon information drawn
from the general public discussion OF
the measure and that the Times opposed
the proposal because of its lifelong op-
position to the principle Of government
ownership
An editorial discussing those who
have our moral approval. in the Euro
pean war;" Mr.. Miller said, referred to
the allies.
ITO whom did the our refer" asked
Senator Walsh.
The American people,.
HAS the Times any business con-
nections in England?"
None whatever, beyond our own cor
respondents office M London"
Has Mr.. Ochs, your largest stock
holder, any financial support in Eng
land:'
80 far as | know, and I am in con-
fldential relations with Mr.. Ochs, lie
has none"
No Connection With London Times.
Mr.. Miller added he wished to deny
that there was any connection what
ever between the New York Times and
the London Times.
An editorial criticising the Post Offiss
Department, as an instance of govern
nlent O~neTsflil, leu 10 d oiScuSSi"h oi
the railway mail pay situation Mr..
Nille~ expressed the belief that the
railroads were not fully paid for carry
ing parcel post matter. Senator Suth-
erland question ed the relevancy OF the
whole discussion.
"I think it is relevant" said Senator
Walsh, because the same interests
that are behind the Internatfona, Mer-
camille Marine are behind the principal
railroads Of the country"