Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-14
LIBERTY OF THE
PRESS MENACED,
ASSERTS EDITOR
Finds Public Men Who Seem
to Wish Papers to Be Menial
and SubServient
tBy Latest Mali

WASHINGTON, D. CA vigorous
protest against what he termed an in
vasion of the liberty Of the press was
voiced by Charles r. Miller, editor-in
chief OF the New York Times, before
the senate ship purchase bill lobby in
qniry committee.
Summoned as a witness, Miller had
been questioned in detail by Senator
Walsh, chairman OF the committee,
concerning editorials and news arti.
cIes appearing in the Times. relating
to the ship purchase bill. trust prose.
cutions, the European war and com.
pensation to railroads for carrying
mail. He declared with emphasis that
the news columns Of his paper were
never influenced by its editorial poll.
cies and that no outside Influences
could make themselves felt in the
paper.
Miller resented any insinuation that
there was amy effort to pervert or
suppress the news" in the Times, and
as he concluded the statement, pro-
tested against the committees pro-
cedure.
Jeopardizes Liberty OF Press.
Il feel, he said, that inquisitorial
proceedings Of this kind would have
a very marked tendency, If continued
and adopted as a policy, to reduce
the press Of the United States to the
level of the press in some of the Gem
trail European capitals, the press that
he's been known as the reptile press,
that crawls on It's belly eyery day to
the foreign office and to tie govern
ment officials and the ministers TO
know what IL may say or shall say,
to receive its orders. For that rea-
son cannot help feeling that a pro-
eeeding CT this kind and such ques-
items and minute inquiries and, will
not say destinations, but intimaticus
as you have in the accomplishment
or your fulcticn felt 10 be necessary.
constitute an invasion CT the liberty OF
the press.
Senator Walsh replied that the
committee felt at liberty &c prosecute
its inquiries when addressed to- the
head of a great and powerful news
paper III exactly the same way it
wcuId against the humblest indiyid-
ual.
Public Grand Ineaisitioa.
Miller closed with comment that
the newspapers appeared before,
grand inquisition every day.
eve feel, he said, that If we
were Improperly influenced by any
body outside OF the Office, there is
ncrie SO quick to discover that as the
readers OF the paper. Your commit.
tee would be left far behind in that
race and we should suffer the greatest
punishment that possibly could be in
flicted upon us. namely, the loss OF all
standing.
Miller told the committee the Times
opposed the shipping bill under a life
long policy of opposition to govern
ment ownership. In response to cues
tons he denied that the Times had
business connections in England be-
yond its correspondent office in Lon
don and said there was no connec-
ticn whatever between the paper and
the Lcndcn Times
An editorial criticising the post
office department as an instance OF
government ownership led to a dis
cussicn of the railway mail pay stu
alton. Miller expressed the belief that
the railroads were not fully paid for
carrying parcel post matter. Senator
Sutherland questioned the relevancy
of the whole question.
81 think it is relevant" said Sen
ator Walsh, because the same inter
ests that are behind the international
marine are behind the
principal railroads of the country
Miller protested against any infer
ence being drawn from the fact that
the Times supported the demands or
the railroads for increased mail pay
and that shipping interests were also
in the railroads.
mo outside influences reach into
the Times office in any way" he said,
and all issues are decided there on
the individual judgment of the Times
itself"
Senator Walsh compared an article
as published in the Times with arti-
cles in other New York papers
The articles disclosed that there
we're nc saiiings frcm New York to
England for a week The Tines arti-
cIe, while it appeared on the first page.
Senator Walsh pointed out, was short
Ter than these of the other papers.
This article would impress the pub
lie with the fact that there were no
facilities, would ii not?" he
asked.
1T would impress the public with
he fact that there was war" re-
llied Miller. There may be many
Mechanical CT other reasons for the
position CT that item, besides mar
'ow and crooked soul There can be |
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