Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-29
TUESDAY, JANUARY %. I9ls.
A Tribute 10 The Associated Press.

The Associated Press, the other alter
noon, sent out over its wires dispatch
relating to the trapping of the Inter
national Press by the United Press As
socjation. The United Press AssocIa-
ton is a rival and a worthy one of the
Associated. Hence the more potent
the sending out OF n victory gained by a
rival organization. The Associated Press.
however, is entirely too big news
Gathering body to bchttle its foes.
To the great public served by the daily
newspaper the working OF a great news
organization like the Associated Press
NAV mean very much or very little, ac-
cording to the readers knowledge. It's
so easy 70 pick up a daily paper at the
cost of one cent and find the worlds news
in addition to all local events worthy
of record But collecting OF the world S
news, as anyone upon quiet thought
VIII perceive, is q Job, and real one.
To accomplish it means the maintenance
OF a correspondent in virtually every
capital Of civilized country IN the world;
correspondent in every leading city
Of more than 100000 people and. in re
spect of the United States, correspond
ent in every city of from 10000 popu-
lation up.
No one newspaper could afford 70
maintain such an organization; hence the
associated press, which is exactly what
its name implies, an organization or
community OF newspapers for the pur-
pose of gathering and disseminating news
from all parts OF the world. Its aim Is
not to make money, but to supply its
subscribers, and through them the read
sng public, with latest information, abso-
lutely unbiased and unprejudiced infor-
nation OF the worlds doings. That it
has done this is attested by the fact that
IL TODAY has an enrolment Of nearly
1000 daily newspapers in the United
States.
A few months ago the Internationa
News Association was barred by the
Allied, or Entente, nations OF Europe.
because Of certain discrepancies in news
articles Thus cut off from its principal
sources Of news supply abroad, it began
TO piifer the news from the Association.
Suit was brought and won by the As
sociated, which, however, consented TO
an appeal 70 the Supreme Court, that the
issue at stake might be determined in
It's final phase. Meanwhile the Interna-
tional, pursuing its least line of resist
ance, proceeded TO obtain news: this time
from the United, not the Associated
Press. The results are apparent. The
United Press laid trap with the word
''Nelotsky," which with the 'ky" elini-
mated and the remainder spelled back
ward, leaves only the damning word
stolen"
The point In question is this: The
Associated Press not only recognized,
but applauded its rival for having
''scotched" a snake in the newspaper
grass. It gave fullest credit for the
simple reason, that, after all, the aims
Of the honest press associations are
identical, which are: Give the news,
accurately, simply and with such ample
detail as Is known TO be correct The
Associated Press stands for honesty in
news service, in fact, it has become a
synonym or standard OF news value.
When, therefore, II gives weight to the
achievements of rival organization and
j principal rival, at that, it Is proving
merely its own strength and greatness
as news-gathering organization.