Evening star., 1925-01-17
UNDER-COVER NEWS
INTERVIEW SCORED
Editors Told Story on High
Authority" Should Not
Be Tolerated.

American press associations and
newspapers should not tolerate any
longer the well informed gentle
man or the administration spokes-
man acting presumably on high
uthority" who sends out trial bal
looms" in the way of ideas. and then
repudiates the reporter who wrote
them or the service which sent hem
out for publication when they fail TO
meet with the desired public re-
sponse, Karl a. Bickel, general man
ager of the United Press Service told
the American Society of Newspaper
Editors meeting today in the clos
ing sessions OF two-day conven-
tion at the New willard Hotel
Numerous instances of reputation
of apparently authoritative news
have come from official sources re-
garding publication OF matters which
were given out as statements of
fact, Mr.. Bickel said, adding that
the Brooklyn Eagle has taken
stand against publishing articles
credited TO "a well Informed source"
or a high administrative officer"
which could well be followed by
press associations and newspapers.
Experiences In Europe.
Mr.. Bickel discussed at length the
general subject of propag ganda in its
relation to publication of news. Civ
ing the experiences of many CORE
spondents for the United Press in
foreign capitals. Foreign govern
ments generally, he said. color the
news they give out so as to give II
a favorable slant. while censorship
is quite rigid in Italy and France
France. according to the informa-
tion he received from his correspond
ent in Paris, regards propagandized
and subsidized newspapers as the
proper agencies for emination of
news. RusSia's government Mr.
Btckel said. takes the attitude that
any declaration unfavorable to the
Soviet government should not be sent
out, while Italy has a rigid system OF
censorship. Only in England is there
no censorship abroad, he declared,
while Germany continues with its
clumsy" efforts at government pro-
paganda along the lines in use dur
ing the war.
Some Propaganda Useful.
Mr.. Bickel said propa ganda by COM
mercial institutions in this country is
often very helpful to newspapers, Civ
ing them many times the truth about
matters of business policy, which the
newspaper must adapt to its own use
without seeing the matter through
the corporations eye. Wherever
commercial propaganda is frank and
truthful 1t is more effective than
where efforts are made to conceal the
facts" he said. Mr.. Bickel added that
the foreign newspaper man regards
the American system Of dissemina-
tion of official news as most in
sidious"
Mr.. BickePs address was discussed
by L. S. Beck Of the Chicago Trib-
une, Ralph Pulitzer of the New York
World and Morris Lee Of the Phila-
delphia Public Ledger. Mr.. Pulitzer
told the meeting that it was some
times difficult to keep the reporters
mind free from bias on matters in
which his newspaper had taken a de-
cided stand.
Editors as well as publishers should
consider It length the proposed in
creased postal rates for newspapers.
James D. Barnum of the Syracuse
Post Standard told the conyention
The afternoon session was to be de-
voted to a symposium on the subject
In What Degree are Syndicates and
Press Services, rather than editors
Editing and Newspapers" with an
swers by many prominent newspaper
men, including E. V. Harris Of the
Washington Post.
Many Phases Discussed.
Many phases of the relation Of
newspapers to the public were dis
cussed at yesterdays meetings. which
ended last night with a reception and
entertainment to the visiting editors
at the National Press Club. Herbert
Bayard Swope of the New York World
defined the scope of Journalism as
life reflected in ink" which must
partake of the ugliness as well as the
beauty. Deletion and suppression of
crime news was touched upon and de-
clared to be unsound, for the reason
that expression can never be so bad
for the individual or group, as sup
preston"
c. H. Dennis of the Chicago Daily
News told the convention that when
you begin to inquire as to who are
the gentlemen who attack news
papers you are surprised to find how
little they know about newspapers
They sit in a corner perhaps and
dream about what newspapers are.
but they have very little real infor-
nation, and 1 think It is a very whole
scome thing to call these gentlemen
to account"
President Coolidge will address the
annual banquet of the society tonight
at o'clock. Other speakers will he
James Melvin Lee, Walter IIfppman
and Glenn Frank
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