The New York herald., 1922-06-25
ARTHUR MEYER FOR
FEWER NEWSPAPERS
With MORE CONTROL
Veteran Paris Editor Says
Liberty of the Press Is
a Bad Thing.
NEED OWN FOREIGN NEWS
Tardieu Says English Agency
Gives France Its View of
United States Events.
NEED OWN FOREIGN NEWS
Sreciai Gable 10 THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1929, by THE New YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau

sreciat Cable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright 1929, by THE New YoRK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris. June "a.
The problem of how to make
French newspapers more repre-
sentative of the nations thought and
ideals which has been the subject of
study by one of the largest weekly
political reviews here recently brought
the criticism from Arthur Meyer,
dean of French journalists. that the
liberty of the press is bad thing gen.
orally
Although anything savoring of an
attack on the liberty of the press
seems strange in a country which has
shed it's blood in revolutions and wars
for the sacred cause of free speech
and free thought, NJ Meyers views
take a novel form when he declares
that individual merit is hampered by
the fact that worthy writing perforce
is given an obscure position even in
the more obscure newspapers. where
as if there were not so many news
papers every one would be reading
and quoting the writings of men
whose names are so far unknown.
Opposes Press Freedom.
"Yes am an enemy Of press liberty"
NJ Meyer says. 1T benefits neither the
journalists nor public opinion 1t only
serves the Government as 1t provides a
sort of safety valve whereby public dis
content can be propagated." Nj. Meyer
considers that the present status of the
Partisan press presents conclusive proof
that his arguments are correct.
Paris now boasts Of about fifty daily
newspapers. some of which have less
than .oooeireulauon. but each providing
definite line OF political argument
which merits attention. Yet in all these
newspapers hardly a real reporting jour
nalist interpreting daily movements is to
be found, the majority OF the writer's
being those whose fame already has been
gained by literary work outside editorial
rooms. The work of these men is used
rterely as high priced advertisement
to gain the public's attention.
1T would be much better with a few
newspapers under stricter control" NJ.
Meyer says. Scores of articles appear
ing in small newspapers to-day would
be considered remarkable i'm Paris IL
there were only three or four newspa-
rers It is fact that there has never
been a wealth of good journalists except
" hen the press has been restrained, this
demanding intense Improvement in the
tone of the arguments"
Need Foreign Correspondents.
Andre Tardieu, however, considers that
the fault of the press to-day lies in the
fact that most French newspapers do
rot have their own correspondents
abroad He pointed out that, besides a
few of the big papers. his own Echo No
tionaie and the Havas Agency. foreign
correspondents are virtually unknown to
Paris Newspapers
Political newspapers naturally pay
little attention to being well informed
says NJ Tardieu, their role being either
to support the Government or hurl cpl
thcts at it. To-day 1t costs 100000
francs a year to keep a correspondent in
the United States. Even the Havas
Agency is subordinated to the services of
Reuter's Agency, and, therefore, 1t Is the
English who control our knowledge as to
what is happening in the United States" ="
NJ Tardieu proposes that the Govern
rIent furnish facts and figures freely to
American news agencies. but doubts
whether this will ever happen, as the
Government does not even attempt to
distribute such information in France.