Arizona republican., 1917-06-27
The Newspapers and the Government

The Newspapers and the Government
 In the course of the consideration of the war tax bill hostility has been expressed in congress against the newspapers than against any other indus try It has taken the form of attempted taxation which would put heavy burden all newspapers and would utterly break down many. This hostility has been partly personal and partly representative It has been voiced in congress generally by who have been severely criticised by the for their incompetency or for something worse than in competency and it has had the support of other members, without special grievances of their but who recognized mouthpieces of certain administration officials private individuals and concerns who thought they in the bill instrument for revenge for Negotiations they had suffered in the past Greed, corruption, incom- petence and whatever flourshes in darkn\ss and ig norance. hates the light and the press.
 Newspapers through their associations, have serted their willingness to share the countrys burdens but they do not want to assume a ruinous crppling share and still less do they to feel that they objects of revenge that their tribution to the national call upon patriotism is enforced penalty.
 If the newspapers of the country had been ami mated by a spirit of when these unjust proposals made they would have left the try in very serious hole Suppose they had treated the legislation for the creation of a seectiye army merely matter of important and let it at that. It would have cost the government many millions of dollars that publicity which reached into every nook and of country produce the registration.
 The government could. in fact, have secured by any expenditure the publicity that the harping by the newspapers day after day on the necessity of registration. And certainly the govern ment if it had emptied the United States treasury. could not have overcome the then existing popular antipathy to registration and conscripon That has been allayed by newspaper explanation and per suasion. and popular support of entrance has been secured
 We will suppose, too, that the newspapers had contented themselves with the full and complete publication of the relating the Liberty and the Red Cross and then had abandoned those subjects they do all that cease to be news There is not man in America dull S believe that the Liberty Loan would have been popularly subscribed or that the Red Cross fund would have been raised It would have cost the government half the amount of the loan to put and keep before the people and it could by any expenditure have awakened such interest in it the newspapers have done by constant hammering and devoting priceless space which would otherwise have been filled with matter in which the interest of their readers would have needed awakening. Nobody outside the newspaper offices knows how much news matter has been thrown away to make room for reiterated appeals to their readers aid of the government.
 We are not offering the contention that the papers have made any sacrifice that they ought to have made. It would have been morally treas enable for them to have made Jess. They have the machinery, and the only machinery, for this service and they cheerfuly placed it the disposal of the government without cost the remotest expecta- ton of reward in any form. No other agency has accomplished nearly much, other could have accomplished it at all No other could have been created for it's accomplishment