Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-27
"A. p NEWS CLEAN AND UNBIASED
OFFICIAL TELLSW. c.. T. y. SESSION
Head of Central Division Explains How
Organization Airs All Issues and
Eliminates Filth.

By the Associated Press.
MINNEAPOLIS, August 27,-"The
| Associated Press Attitude on Clear
| News" was the subject of an address
here today by Edgar r. Cutter of Chi
cago, superintendent Of the central di
vision of the Associated Press, at tho
| tifty-third convention of the Nattona
Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.
a lack of information of the rea
mission of the Associated Press anC
the more than 1900 daily member
| newspapers that it serves has, SAID
| Mr.. Cutter, led in some quarters to q
! feeling that their particular doin3s
were not adequately covered to the
| public.
Of YOU will realize at the start that
| the Associated Press mission is tC
report impartially all happenings OF
general interest, and that it can have
no interest in taking sides on any
! question, whether it be peace or war
religion. woman suffrage, the politics
of Republicans or Democrats. or the
| question of dry or wet it viii bring
| us quickly to an understanding of this
world wide news organization, which
has been spoken of as one of the
greatest forces for good of our times,
he declared.
Truthfulness Lauded.
Perhaps l can state it best by
quoting the recent remarks of Ovid
Bell of Fulton, Mo, man respected
by his fellow newspaper workers Tor
his impartial handling OF public ques-
tons and who has earned a place high
in his State AIR. Bell said this:
In free country it is essential
that the people know the truth con
corning not only their Government
but also of those things of news which
affect them as individuals. In a free
country intelligence must not be
bound or subsidized or corrupted. 1t
must be free; it must he honest. Be
cause it collects and disseminates the
truth in this free country. the Assoc
ciated Press is a great national bull
wark.
Every intelligent newspaper read
err in America knows the Associated
Press is a cooperative, nonprofit-
making organization which devotes it.
self exclusively to just one task--re-
porting the truth. He knows the AS
ISOLATED Press has no editorial poll
cies to conform to and no self-Seeking
masters to serve. Hence he trusts the
Associated Press, even though he mis-
trusts some of its member news
papers.
Holds Public Confidence.
eff the Associated Press were a
privately -owned institution, selling its
services to whomsoever would buy, it
could not serve the Nation as it does,
for though it might be ever so honest
81 ~ ca 1N1 f,.reo
itself entirely from suspicion and
doubt. Because it is what it is, the
Associated Press has the confidence
of the public. And being incorrupti-
BILE and unafraid. as we'll as always
intelligent and ever alert, it is a ma.
tional asset of incalculabe worth
In word, what Mr.. Bell tells you
is this: Because the Associated Press
is made up of newspapers of all be-
liefs. political and religious, and is con-
trolled by them. these newspaper pub
fishers would not tolerate their organ.
ization in treating unfairly any public
question. They insist that world
events be covered upon a strict news
basis, and l ask you to remember that
the mission of this news association
is to record the worlds daily history,
not to make the news. 1t is you who
make the news, and as you help us
uncover it while it yet is live you do
your part in cooperating in the re-
cording Of that history.
Propaganda Barred.
''Too often, however, W. C. T. U.
workers ask that things regarding
their organization that are not news,
but propaganda, or that are repeti-
Of Oft +o1 ctr
again. If you will realize that, while
the Associated Press considers the wet
and dry question as an important
news problem, we are bound to see
news on both sides. 1t is not for us
to editoralize on such news or to dis.
criminate in it's handling, but to know
1t represents the action of thousands
on either side who have their own fol-
lowing and who have their right to be
heard.
''One of the most satisfying things
an Associated Press official or editor
encounters at the end of some political
or partisan campaign is to have the
leaders of both sides say: You have
been fair And that is our great de-
sire, to be fair. Generally speaking,
we are succeeding in our purpose, not.
withstanding the fact that there are
duNOCdlSS VI DOlH SUES VI any DTOD-
lem who consider that unless we are
biased in their favor we are partial to
the other side.
And because it is impartial the AS
ISOLATED Press serves its country best.
Can you think of anything more harm,
full to the people at large than for a
news source to be in the hands of de-
signing men who place a faint upon
the news or color it to meet their own
ends? On the other hand, will you
agree with me that in placing before
the sixty or seventy millions of peo-
pie who daily read our dispatches the
truth, clearly stated, is one of the
most potent influences in our country
in safeguarding it against a destruc1
tive element? l think you will, for
some OF the greatest publishers and
public women and men have said as
much.
Filth Is Turned Down.
But while the Associated Press
may not be partisan in it's handling of
public events, it can exercise healthy
supervision over the character of news
it shall handle. More than % years
ago Mr.. Melville +. Stone, it's former
gonne Apartments, declared a plane