Evening star., 1921-10-22
Editorial Digest
Newspaper Housecleaning.


may be a bit difficult for the lay mind
to grasp. but such homeopathic treat
ment, self-administered. is evidently
what the fourth estate" proposes to
cure a disease contracted during the
war. The journalist in the White House
has made a plea for the eradication Of
the propaganda habit" to the Journal
lists Of the world assembled at Honolulu,
and he has made an impression.
President Harding. turned lexicog-
rapher," as the New York Times (in-
propaganda" and Education" in such
a way as to make them "diametrically
opposite" The former, he says. "aims
primarily at shutting UP the mind
which the propagano'sts design to i'm
plant: while the latter ''aims to open
the mind and to urge It to for
mulate its own conclusions" And. the
Times continues. "it is a discerning
not yet come into the dictionaries that
the press Of a democracy must have.
and perpetually hold against all tempta-
tions. II 1t is to deserve the Presidents
conclusion that. In the work of educa-
which we now know can be expected to
exert SO great potency as the press.
In no public utterance. declares the
Brooklyn Eagle independent demo-
cratic). has the Ohio statesman got
closer to the truth on topic deeply in
." For Great Britain. for France.
for Italy. and particularly for Germany,
the opening of mems minds is a cardi
nal desideration today. and everywhere
pshns this m9s. pss IN Sem
tinel Independent democratic) believes
that "the President is within the bounds
Of accuracy when he says that propa-
ganda has become a habit" and it OBJ
serves that "a habit is a hard thing to
cure" but eff President Harding can
change the nature and discourage the
practice as manifested to date he will
deserve the gratitude Of his fellow men,"
So extensive, indeed, has the habit be-
come that the Indianapolis News Onde-
pendentr finds people who see propa-
ganda In everything that Is written that
seems to lean to opinions Of which they
disapprove."
Newspapers are becoming weary
Of publishing propaganda" the Bir-
mingham Age-Herald Independent
New York Tribune (republicanj re-
marks. they do not flourish in an
atmosphere Of news distortion" Pres
ident Harding has shown that sound
craftsmanship is compatible with
sound newspapering." and the Tribune
suggests that he go even farther and
iting propaganda" to the "peace
measures" which the Washington
conference will discuss. because
among the needs of tfe world is un-
trammeled and undirected informa-
tion of what other nations think"
The President suggests. and a num-
Der of writer's emphasize. the def
mite danger that lies in the contin-
uation Of the propaganda habit" In
connection with the armament con-
ference. in which. as the Minneapolis
Journal independent republican,
says. the press will play its part
for good or ILL.," Public opinion should
remain calmly poised and judicial In
this country the next few months"
says the Journal. and it will be with
in the power of the press to make
or ruin" BY prejudice. appeal to
passion. suppression or coloring of
the news" the press would negative
the best efforts of the conference"
while merely as "a distributor of the
news and guide to public opinion, it
may do much to further the cause of
peace In the world"
"Openmindedness" in relation to the
conference, the Philadelphia Bulletin
independent republican,. points out,
means just that. and in the elimina-
ton Of propaganda there are other
considerations than Outside infiu-
ences." While ut is easy TO recog-
nize the point that anti-Jap or anti
English or any other anti propa-
ganda Is out of tune with the desired
harmony Of such a gathering. it may
not be quite so easy to comprehend
the truth that pro-American propa-
ganda may be equally out Of place. il
1t be not judicial. fair and discreet, as
propagandists often fail to be-"