Evening star., 1924-02-16
Nv tho Associatad praSs

-of SdHlZdtloH OF Inc AsSocidteu
Press in 1898, freed this country from
the menace" of privately controlled
news distribution agencies then OPP
Grating. Minnesota editors were told
here last night by Melville E. Stone,
counselor of The Associated Press.
Addressing the Minnesota Editorial
Association at a banquet given by
the Minneapolis Journal, Mr.. Stone,
who was general manager of The As
sociated Press for twenty-five years,
termed as "the revolution of 1893" the
action of western editors in forming
the cooperative news gathering as
sociation.
when, in this country" Mr.. Stone
said, I'VE speak of the revolution. of
course we refer to the contest which
began at Concord bridge and ended
at Yorktown. Little more than a
century later there was another reVo-
luton in our land, which seems to
me to have been also of distinct con-
sequence.
Private Control Also Menace.
Government control OF the press
was universal throughout the world
for many centuries and through the
first clause in our bill of rights was
broken down in this country, but we
did not appreciate that private con-
troll was no less malign than gov
ernment control.
"If it were desirable that the gov
erned populace of our republic shouid
be intelligent, it was all important
that there should be an honest, I'M
partial news service. The gathering
and distribution of news, however
had been from the beginning under
private control. In the late fortles'
a few of the New York Journals or
Associated Press and its news they
sold to the papers in the hlnteriand
as these papers developed. 1t was
close corporation.
Tributaries Are Formed.
Mr.. Stone said as newspapers in
creased in the back-country small
tributary organizations were formed:
In 1892, he said the central group OF
a few papers in New York passed
into the hands of three men VINO were
bent only on money-maklns.
."The menace was obvious" Mr..
Stone stated. "Not only were the
newspapers dependent on the ca
price or worse of these men, put
away beyond that the public was SUD
This was the immediate cause OF
the revolution of 1898. The news
naner men served by the Western
Associated Press. mindful as wen OF
cur public duty as OF our prisa.ss
duty, revolted against TINS sorL ol
of four years duration. 1t was a
bloodless contest, yet none the less
revolutionary.
National Organization Formed.
The western men set out TO iorn,
a national organization anu
place 1T in the hands of purely CO
oneratiye organiZation-an organize
tion that should tell no news. ma ne ~.
no profits, declare no dlVidehas. pus
should be the agent or joint fepoi
of it's members.
"There are about 1900 daily news
papers in the organization. me
represent every concelVaple polh. :, "a =
view respecting politics, religion ailo
economics. However prejudlced THESE
members are. they are one in thelf
desire and demand that the organ,
zation furnish unbiased news ano
do it as truthfully as human fralities
will permit. ..o,
went down in defeat and in Dank-
ruptcy in 1897 The wisdom or the
plan Of the founders of the Associated
Press in refusing to deal with tr1ou-
tary or sectional organizations Wa Va
apparent The bitterness growing out
OF our civil war had not altogether
disappeared. But when, under the
| revolutionary body, the Yankee eultor
and the Confederate editor met they
| saw that neither was as bad as ne
| had believed.
North and South United.
And so. year after the close
| of our revolutionary contest. Joe
| Wheeler the gallant ex-Confederate
| chieftair, marched side by side with
| his time Yankee opponents TO &c
! battle for the republic in the Spanlsn !
war. And in the great war or l9Ia
| we went in as a united nation, know
| ing no north, nor south, nor east nor
west.
This. I believe, was largely the
outcome Of the revolution of 1898. AS
| a feature of the organization 1t was
| expected and desired that 1T shoulo
be the subject of criticism. 1t was
controlled by a board of directors
elected by the members. and I know
Of no institution that has been so
| fully self-governed.
ITO those of US who have been en-
gagged in the work it seems strange
that there should be any DOUBTS as
| to either its usefulness or its 1ntes-
on In the daylight, under blazing
sun. There are no secrets about IL
| in fact, there can be none. Inc
news which it furnishes to the news
| paper membership is furnished, IN
| the phrase of Mr.. Lincoln, with NAL
| ice toward none. with charity for all.
No Trick About A. p.
There has been no trick about the
| have borne their part in the EFFORT
| directors have come and gone HVeo
and died. They have been of every
conceivable religious. political and
| economic aff1liation. Yet all of them
have eborne their part in the effort
| to make the Associated Press worthy
of public confidence as a source and
distributor of truthful and unbiased
| news. Every man who has sat on its
board and has participated in its
| management can look you full IN the
| face and tell you that there has ever
! been a painstaking endeavor to make
II honest, impartial and faithful to
! the trust reposed in it.
| "And yet in Mr.. Bright's words
| There has been no want OF ample
criticism Criticism good and bad
| and Indifferent. Sometimes amusing
| sometimes irritating. Intelligent
truthful criticism, which is welcome
| because it Is helpful.
| Refutes Klan Criticism.
| Ignorant but honest criticism
| which is not Objectionable because an
| explanation Is all that is necessary
| Malicious and untruthful criticism
| which is not hurtful because, in the
| words Of the President who died the
| other day, the truth will prevail
| ATTACKS have been freely aimed
both at its form of organization and
| it's method of operation. For In
| stance, it is openly charged by an Of
| ficer OF the Ku Klux klan that 1t is
| controlled by Jewish influence or that
| it is pro-Vatican in the tendency OF
| its news service. 1t can hardly be
| necessary for me to say that l am