Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-29

II "The people Of the world want 10 Know what lhelF
governments are doing
Words fight battles said correspondent writ
ling in a German paper. and in this cur enemy was
fright"
"If there is to be international peace the future
BATTLES will be fought in the newspapers. Ideas
twill be freely exchanged
III Newspapers will be tie artillery. editors
the new generals, and news associations the battle
fields
/: These sentences statements of fact, the con-
seluding remarks Of one Of the leading American
trorrespondents who PASSED the war period up to
sihe time of our own declaration Of war IN Ger
;inaBy. He had an opportunity TO study and un'
,ferstand how the people of Germany have been so
tgrievousIy misled by the manufactured news dis
spensed to them by the military controlled papers OF
EsLat nation And he came to realize how little the
l,eope of Europe generally know of the ideals and
facts of American life all due to the limited atten-
stion given American news by the newspapers OF
Europe.
Il. Publicity straightforward truth dealing public
ity is the foundation of the future peace and pro-
Igress of the nations of the earth, if the spirit that
ihow prompts the allies in their struggle is to be all
iperradng and victorious.
+ And this correspondent is right.
I: People seldom go wrong they know, once
they are fully informed, aroused and therefore
skilling as we'll as able to act intelligently.
II The correspondent cites the instance of the New
Work correspondent of the Asahi of Toxic sending
y despatch to his newspaper which was the first
information Japan had of a note sent by our gov
fefnment to the Chinese government Japan and its
government were very much stirred and ian Incl
lent, was almost created The secret of the whole
trouble was lack of judgment in handling the pub
3icity.
"A He calls attention to the propaganda of the Ger
man nation in spreading misnformation through
but its own and other countries. And to combat
his the United States must depend or has de-
6ended on what the newspapers and the news asso-
Nations see fit to carry The result is that a mat
Ter Of national and international import stands al
lair chance of being sidetracked by some terrific
train wreck or society murder mystery that may
involve two continents.
81 Germany today with its control of the Overseas
News Agency and the Wolff Agency is planning to-
distribute news its own news, throughout the world
Il very low cost. IT is even now preparing to
compete with world newspapers and world news
agencies
6 President Wilson has said that 'The opinion of
The world is the mistress of the world" The cor
respondent points out that without free exchange
Bf reliable news there will be international mis-
Understandings that will challenge the new mis-
tress.
sBusiness, governments and international peace"
says this writer, depend upon clear understand
ings between businessmen, officials and the people,
Where cables are controlled by government by
agencies under government control costly news is
not going to be printed.
sNewspapels are public service institutions. The
people of every country in the world are entitled to
the truth about other countries and governments.
"No government agency will be able to tell the
whole truth There must be private competition
III news distribution throughout the world just as
there is today in the United States. But what gov
ernments can and should do is to come to an inter-
national agreement upon the ending of this that
doyernment wireless stations can be used by all
recognized news agencies to distribute their news
n ali parts IF the world to subscribers for that news
At speeial wireless press rate. If there were such
Al, norcement there would be less opportunity for
International misunderstanding.
This is looking into the future. But how true
Is all that this correspondent says of the for
Misunderstanding of the past. How the parallel
has worked ont in connection with our own facts of
government national state, territorial and nuni-
Opal
The men who go into Office and become mbued
with the idea that they must govern the people and
have the people out of full knowledge of the facts
Of what is going on, are almost invariably men.
whose official life is rated as a failure.
How often do we see officials who have Matched
,palIy good ideas But these have been Matched be-
hind closed doors The IDEAS are presented to the
1,,hlic and il does not respond Immediately.
+ Whvp Because the people do not know. They
nave NOT been informed And if one thing is true
IL democracy il is that facts must be repeated in
A.sop and. ont in a multitude of forms before the
,aonlp really. and are willing to, take notice.