Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-21
BELIEVES IT
(Continued from PAGE One)

lign their character. A little judi
cious hitting back may well be In or
der" he said.
Mr.. Sherman referred to a recent
attack upon the Associated Press by
professor of a New England COL
lege-in which the professor said IS. In
every International cricis since 1919
the Associated Press has been 100
percent wrong in it's selection and
coloring Of the news. 1t is one of the
most automatically ruled institutions
in the world"
Gas the professor proceeded to de-
velop this assertion, 1t was apparent
that his grievance against the AS
ISOLATED Press consisted largely of
the way it handled the Russian stu
ation." said Mr.. Sherman. "His OBJ
vious sympathy with the Bolshevistic
movement caused him to look ask
ance at news from Russia that did
not coincide with his preconceived
beliefs in the ideals and aspirations
of the communistic experiment. 20
Had the professor been better in
formed he would have known that
the only selection of news the Asso-
ciated Press makes has to do with
the actual Importance Of events
Whether these events contribute to
the upbuilding> or destruction of the
social order is not for the Associated
Press to say. Its function is to sup
ply the facts without color, leaving
editors to place their own construc-
ton on them and consciously doing
nothing to retard the imaginative
processes Of our college luminaries.
AS for being an automatically
ruled institution, 1t would puzzle this
critic of the Associated Press to set
up more democratic method of
management than actually obtains"
Mr.. Sherman explained that news
papers of every shade Of political
persuasion were members Of the or
ganization and that all received the
same news ~n1orts. If the Associated
Press attempted to espouse any one
party or cause. 'it would speedily
lind itself in the throes of confusion"
When somebody is not denounc-
ing the Associated Press, the press in
general is being arraigned as capt.
talistic. An attempt is made to in
Guide the newspapers in a vast con-
spiracy to protect vested interests at
thea expense Of everybody else. The
press is capitalistic to the extent that
it seeks to operate. like every other
business at profit; that 1t employs
brains, machinery, tools and labor.
Mr.. Och's New York Times and Mr..
Hearst's New York Journal are both
canitalistic in this sense, but the
policies of the one bear no resemb-
lance to the policies of the other.
Within the realm of political
and economic discussion there are
newspapers with sufficiently diver
gent views to afford free play to the
THOUGHTS and emotions of the public.
II the great majority of newspapers
pelleve in the social structure as 1t
has been developed here in America,
1t does not indicate ruthless capi-
talism on their part. Rather it may
be cited as O manifestation of their
common sense. But to some minds
any display of that quality is culp-
able"
Mr.. Sherman pointed to MANY
weaknesses in newspapers, and said
he believed there was IAN awakening
or courage in many editorial columns.
In many an editorial sanctum the
spirit OF Greeley is being revived"
lat there is need of such revival
no one conversant with political, So
cial and economic questions can dis
pute. If the press does not raise its
voice and by provoking controversy
cause others to think. what other
agency is there that will do it?"