Evening star., 1925-04-21
Da,Ues Continues Senate Reform
Fight Before Associated Press

|
Senate is responsive to public senti-
ment, but Senators must know that in
the States which they represent this
sentiment exists -
This appeal is not in a spirit of hos
tility. 1t is to form and present an
issue upon which a fair test of public
opinion can be made. 1t is to the end
that those who are the source of
governmental power may express
themselves upon a remedy in a lawful
way"
In introducing the Vice President
Mr.. Noyes said:
BY a series of subtle executive en-
| croachments l have succeeded in
establishing. in practice at least, the
right of exhorting you briefly on the
ideals of the Associated Press on these
| annual occasions, and on this, the
| twenty-fifth anniversary Of the Asso-
ciated Press in it's present form, I
have no intention of Waiving any of
my prerogatives-even usurped ones
| Il find that even within our men,
bership are those who only dimly
realize our purposes.
| Il begin, therefore, at the begin
| nlng. You who are gathered here to-
| day are the Associated Press. There
is no entity with a separate interest
| The Associated Press is merely the
| instrumentality through which 200
| member newspapers exchange news,
one with the other, and also collect
original news through a staff en-
ployed by these same 1000 news
| papers.
Organization Cooperative.
Your organization is purely demo
cratic. cooperative and non-profit-
making.
For purposes of administration you
select 10 newspaper men, connected
with member newspapers, who act as
] your trustees.
| The news service you require and
receive must be nonpartisan in the
broadest sense; it must be without
bias OF any sort, and it must be as
| accurate as is humanity possible.
These principles were laid down by
! Victor F. Lawson and Melville Z.
| stone and their associates more than
80 years ago, and are the very foun-
dation Of the organization as it exists
today.
| Il do not, of course, claim that there
| have not been the failings to which
any human institution is subject-but
these have been individual errors and
not an intentional departure from the
| principles laid down.
I'VE have no quarrel with the pro-
prietary gathering organizations
/ if they choose to furnish partisan
| matter to their clients. 1t could fairly
be argued that the pronounced views
| OF the owner of such an organization
| could as properly be urged through
his news service as through his news
paper If he owned one.
Own Case Different.
with the Associated Press the
case is entirely different, and design
edly so.
| THE members of this organization
| have no thought of delegating to the
| officers or the board of directors of
the Associated Press the duty or the
privilege of doing their thinking for
them; of determining what is the right
| OF any public question; of either ad-
vocating or opposing any cause or in
! diyidual
Years ago Mr.. Stone, in publicly
| discussing the question, said:
There is an underlying belief that
| the American people are capable of
| self government. If so, they must be
able to form a judgment. And we
| conceive ii to be of the greatest i'm
portance that the people be given the
! facts free from the slightest bias,
| leaving to them the business of form
| ing their own Judgment
Now while our organization may
have ideals and purposes of the
| highest type, 1t is quite another thing
to attain them in practice.
THE accurate news. the unbiased
| report, must be the work of human
hands and minds, and the real triumph
of the Associated Press has been the
creation of its wonderful working
| staff.
Praises Work of Staff.
These are the men that have made
! our dreams come true, and can
never let an opportunity pass to pay
a tribute to these quiet, earnest men
who each day comb the world in
| order that we may promptly and ac-
curately know of its worthwhile hap
penings.
1T is, of course, true that the pas
sion for truth that marks the Associ-
ated Press puts severe limits on any
of its staff who may have gifts for
fiction.
! when the purpose of a news report
is simply to furnish 'peppy' and thrill
ing items. it is obvious that facts are
distinctly hampering.
| only recently we had two cases
that clearly illustrated the different
angles Of approach to occurrences of
the Associated Press and it's pro-
prfetary cotemporaries.
In the first instance, the Associated
Press carried a dispatch from London
stating that, according to a Lisbon
dispatch to the Sunday Express, Port
Alexander, a small island in the Portu-
guese colony Of Angola, West Africa,
had been suddenly submerged in the
sea, and had completely disappeared.
No details had been received, but a.
considerable loss of life was feared,
as the islet, which was 1000 square
yards in area, was inhabited by
Portuguese and native settlers.
Gives Competitors Version.
Following it's much criticized drab
and unimaginative custom, the Asso-
ciated Press proceeded to check up on
this story, but was outpaced in this
endeavor by a competitor, who came
through with this thriller:
LISBON, January 27.-Reports
from Africa reveal that the little
island of Port Alexander has disap-
peared as If by magic under the sea.
Scores of dead bodies and floating de-
bris are all that remain of the once
populous and prosperous port.
The cause of the disaster is un.
known, but it is presumed that sub
| terranean earthquake caused q tidal
| wave.
Details are meager and confusing.
A few gibbering madmen were picked
up by vessels standing by near the
spot where the port once was, and
from these survivors it was gathered
that the sea suddenly heayed noun
tain-high, then dropped in a swirling
maelstrom, engulfing the island
Check-up Shows No Loss.
One day only after this narrowing
dispatch appeared came the result of