The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-13
DANGERO
|NFLUENC
IS SEEN
Y. s. Open to Propaganda in
English Ownership of
Lines, He Says.
By JAMES X. POLLOCK, DR.,
COSMOPOLITAN News Service.

BY JAMES X. POLLOCK, DR.,
Cosmopolitan News Service.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass, Aug.
1S.-"We must no more disarm
our national news systems than
our war systems" Admiral w. L.
Rodgers, senior officer of the
United States navy and chairman
OF the General Board of the Navy,
said today while making a plea
for American instead of British
control Of the cable systems.
Both, he declared, were needed
for national safety.
Warns of Propaganda.
Citing several cases of actual
British discrimination against the
United States, the admiral insisted
the american people must be pre-
vented from having their minds
colored by foreign propaganda.
1t is essential to the prosperity
or this nation to hold and develop
control Of radio, and thereby of in
ternational news in favor of national
policies and interest,"" he said.
able way to communicate the Ameri-
can point Of view to other nations,
except-over foreign controlled cables.
Admiral Rodgers emphasized the
changes which the advance Of the
last century in navigation and trans
portation have made in the national
outlook OF all countries upon that
commerce which the navies Of the
world exist to defend and promote.
"A new situation now exists and
sound national policy requires that
each government must do no less
Tor its own national business than
other governments do for THEIRS
he asserted.
Need Of u. s. Aid.
las director of one Of our
greatest corporations said to me over
three years ago. We have all the
money we could desire for foreign in
vestment, but without the backing
or the Administration we cannot
compete with foreign capital sup
ported by it's government The
British government participates in
some foreign investments, like the
Euez canal and the Dutch Shell.
We must beware of a solution of
ing Of national interests The ques-
ton Of who controls the pool and
the access thereto IS at the bottom
Of the matter. If any nation is de-
prtved OF her equal opportunity. the
consequences may be most disas-
trous TO the whole nation. This is
particularly so with basic raw prod
ucts. In the present stage of the
world no great nation can permit
herself to be threatened by the loss
Of any great market of raw mate
rails essential to her scheme of in
dustry in peace and war"
Discussing the question Of Gov
eminent control of the press, Ad-
miral Rodgers said that "the ma
tional interests, that is to say, the
interests and prosperity Of the in
dividual voters of the United States,
taken collectively, require that radio
or cable, or both, should be vested
in the control of those in whom the
people of the United States have
confidence.
I'VE do not have full control, or
even our share of control, in the
cable communications of the world
which were established years ago.
For instance, the United States laid
an American cable across the Pa
cific. The corporation was Ameri-
can, yet in practical operation the
control is understood to be British.
There are British directors, British
operators. and it is said 10 be more
expeditions for a New Yorker TO
send his message to a London agent
and let the latter send IL back as
an original London message via our
Pacific coast so as to cross 10 Asia.
Radio is now coming to the front
as new and rapid way Of transmits.
sion of political and commercial IN
telligence. The national interests Of
United States in rivalry with those
OF other nations, demand that we
shall grasp and hold our independent
means of communication through
radio For the present moment only.
we have such a national advantage
In the potential advantage. AS we
have no advantage in cables, we
must by no means sacrifice our
radio, but by every means continue
TO hold what we now so fortunately
possess. We are now seeking to hold