Evening star., 1926-04-08


Press and International Relations.
which was subdivided under the fol.
lowing heads: The Press AZ Me.
dunn of Fostering Closer Relations
Between the American Republics"
selection Of News So as 10 Give a
Clearer Picture Of the National Life
OF the Peoples OF America: In.
creasing Space Devoted to Economics
and Fina ncIaI Developments: In
creasing Space Devoted TO Cultural
and Artistic Progress on the Ameri
can Continent"
Problems Before the Press.
The report on this topic was pre-.
scented by DR.. Jorge Mitre. editor of
La Nacion. Buenos Aires. DR.. Mitre
declared that no vehicle is compare
bic TO the press for the development
of closer relations between the Amer
lean republics; but since the means of
ntercommunicat.on. especially he
tween the countries of Central and
South America. are at present, very
limited and very irregular. the news
papers OF one country that should
carry through the mails to another
country important news serving to ce-
nlent the nations cannot do so. Out.
side Of journalists, literary men - a nd
certain specialists who are very lin.
tied In number, the papers of one
country have but little. circulation in
the others. the speaker said.
Consequently the best means of
efectuatinS intercourse between Ger.
tain republics is the daily publication
within each country of its news that
is of Importance in the others" DR..
Mitre said. When newspaper in
Caracas publishes periodically news
respecting important events occur:
ing In Argentina. in matters of poll.
tics. finance, economy, industry, 1T.
erarN events. sports etc. and the
periodicals of Buenos Aires likewise
give relative importance TO notable
events occurring in Venezuela. the
public in the one and in the other
capital viii begin to show An interest
that now 1t does not have. because
the press, from which 1t gets it's in
formation and under whose spiritual
wings it Is, does not give that news.
Importance of Telegraph.
For example. the press in, Buenos
Aires does not now receive kilograms
from the Latin republics of the north
except when changes of government
occur, ministries fall or great political
or literary personages die. SO that,
since these occurrences do not happen
often 1t may chance that in a year q
in Buenos Aires may not
give as much space TO some Of the re-
publics of the continent as it does to
the death" of a. British millionaire or
the divorce OF Rumanian prince.
keeping the name OF Great Britain or
Of Rumania in the minds OF it's read.
ers, when other more important hap
penings are lost to sight. Therefore.
it will not be the press alone that will
create this intercourse between the
peoples of America. but the telegra nh.
used discreetly and intelligently by the
press"
DR.. Mitre pointed out that North
merican journalists should remember
that a mere statement of things that
have happened does not serve to salts.
fy the needs of Latin readers. He
quoted Senator Hiram Bingham in al
luding to the racial differences, In
the course of which he sal of the citi.
zens of the United States 1--WE are
not an imaginative people. Unlike our
southern neighbors, 1t is difficult for
US to visualize the meaning of print.
ed statements about countries that we
have. never seen. When the South
American hears the figures of our
learns the height OF our
and listens to the ex.
pense of the benefactions of our Lead
Ing philanthropists. he cannot help
from feeling an overpowerinS sense
Of the greatness of the United States.
Hits Trivial News.
The increasing amount Of trivial
news that is carried by the large press
associations in the United States was
criticized by Willis J. Abbot. editor
Of the Christian Science Monitor, who
followed DR.. Mitre on the program.
MIR. Abbot regretted this condition
because much Of this ma
terial finds its way into the Latin
American countries and gives them
an untrue picture of life in this
Even the foreign cor
respondents accredited to the United
States from Latin.America. the
speaker declared. are misled by glar-
Ing headlines in the more sensational
American papers and they overlook
the real news in attempting to fill the
cables with such misleading material.
Mr.. Abbot especially deplored the
apparent lack of interest in South
American affairs among American
readers. No paper in the United
States, he said. that has ever attempt
ed to give a full and accurate news
report of South American happen
ings had been sufficiently rewarded
to justify q continuance.
He hazarded a prediction. however,
that the future would see great
change.
Herbert F. Gunnison. president Of
the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, told the
that he was convinced that
no agency can influence international
relations so much as the press. The
press, he said, makes public opinion