The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-12
PRESIDENT PLEADS
 FOR AID OF PRESS
 FOR ARMS FARLEY
Declares Press In Position to Wield a Great and Bene- ficient Influence In
 Solving Problems
Fly Associated Press

Washington, October 1t.--A hope that the public press throughout the world will do it's part to promote in- ternational understanding and par ticularfy to make easier the task s of the armament conference, was ex- pressed by President Harding in a
 message to the Press Congress of the World, which began it's sessions today at Honolulu.
 In solving the problem of the Pa cific, tho President wrote, the press was in a positiou-to wield great and beneficent influence. He de- clared it hard to imagine justiflca- tions" for conflict among the peo- ples on opposite shores of the Pacific, and added;
 The Pacific ought to be the seat of a generous, free, open minded competition between the best ideals of eastern and western life. between the aspirations and endeavors of the oldest and newest forms of human society"
 The Presidents message was sent in the form of a letter to Wallace and publisher of the Honolulu Star Bulletin. It was dated September &, and was in part as foliows:
 Text of Letter
 "I hope the fact that l chance to have been most of my life q news paper man. will not have distorted my Judgment so far as to cause me to overrate the importance of jour nalism in the present. day world. Not
 only have the world war and the
 events transpring since the armis- tice impressed us all anew with the use and value of the public press,
 but they have demonstrated the pos sible danger which resides in press too freely employed for mere propa-
 ganda. In the overwhelming emer
 gency of the war, propaganda became
 a we'll nigh universal habit; l might
 almost say code among journalists. It was, of course. intended to be the
 propaganda of patriotism, of devout nationalism, of well-intentioned as-
 piration for the salvation of the best
 in human society; but it was not
 always entirely fair, judicial or dis erect. On the whole, 1t semed a splendid purpose in the circumstances of wartime; but we newspaper men could indulge ourselves in no more grievous error than to assume that propa aganda is the first or even leading aim of properly conducted press.
 Has Great Potency
 Tn this work of education no sim gle force or influence of which we now know can be expected to exert so great a potency as the press. You are meeting in q day when the world is looking forward to the gathering
 of the nations to consider limitation of armaments and the maintenance of world peace. If your deliberations
 shall inspire a larger, better,
 more humane view of the elements
 which enter into the problem of peace and at least measurable dis mament; If you cat encourage the ideal of a world primary at peace: then you will have given vast im- petus to the efforts of statesman who are presently to consider these prob lems In Washington.
 We have heard much in recent years about the problem of the Pa cific whatever that may be. take if to be merely a phase of the uni versal problem of the race, of men and nations wherever they are. It is hard to imagine justifications in this day and age, especially in view of the worlds late unhappy experi- ences, for armed conflict among civ- ilized peoples anywhere and espec- ially among peoples so widely sep arated as those on opposite borders of the Pacific. They represent oif- ferent races, social organiza tions, political systems and modes of thought Between them and their widely varying systems, there may well be an amicabie competition to | determine which community possess ses the better and more effective ideas for Human advancement. But l that there should be conflict; that warfare and controversy should in- | terfere with this so worthwhile dem l onstration of the value of different modes of progress is almost unthink- able. The Pacific ought to be the ] seat of generous, free, openminded competition between the best Ideals of eastern and western life; between | the aspirations and endeavors of the oldest and the newest forms of hu- man society. You are meeting at the cross roads of the Pacific amid nll the glamour and romance and glory which have always surrounded the very name of the south sea. You have an opportunity to do world of good for humanity and I believe you have met at a peculiarly auspic- ious time"