The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-02-06
.[]OLI[N5E'S
VIEWS ON
PRESS

President Coolidge's address al
tie dedication of the nesU quarters
Of the National Press Club here
OF Saturday night is generally re-
nnrdeG bg newspaper men and
public officials as one of the best
pronOuncements on the aims ana
ideals of Journalism eVer made by
q high official Of the Government.
The President said, IN part:
A Business Institution
1t Is possible to see Ia this spa.
eious building, 50 magnificently
equipped, symbol Of the develop
4nent Of the whole United States.
srhe Old. the ontworn. the poorly
adapted, has been discarded and
removed to make place for the new
and the modern. 1t represents an
increase In power, not BY any
means limitless, but very vast. The
process has transformed our Press
Club into q great business iristl.
tuition.
Something analogous to this has
taken place In the Journalism Of
our country. The press itself. by
the very force Of circumstances, IN
order to survive has been changed
from an organization Of partisan
and personal opinion into 4 very
great commercial organization. e
has become much more important,
IL fact indispensable, to the bush
ness enterprise Of the country, but
appears To have lost very much Of
afs power AZ i director OF public
khought. There are SO many other
avenues Of information that people
are much less dependent than
formerly upon the press Tor their
knowledge of men and of affairs.
Now that the transition has been
made through various consolluas
2ions, and through the elimination
of the unsuccessful. the Journals
Ism of the United States has On
fae whole established itself accord
sng to the new standards upon
profitable financial basis. II ought
40 undertake to recapture the
dominant position It formerly held
Is distributor Of current inIor-
nation and director OF public
opinion. it ought to contest with
our universities as an influence Tor
education ana match the pulpit -
nv e.,nnort &c high moral standards
TIE Duties Of the Press
n republic the field which =
ooeu Is the. press as an instrument
cf clean and sound government Il
1imitless. II ought to be the sup
norter Of efficient local administrar
4ion and wise national salesman Z.
nhip. In international AFFAIRS e
should cooperate with is own GOV
ernuent ana extend TO foreign m
ferests tolerant and sympatneElc
candor. Foreign interests have the
privilege of being represented mere.
The right to fair treatment y AZ
wide as humanity. But when Tor.
ssfrn governments are represented
here, their agents are required 20
come publicly accredited ana pc
publicly received. For generations
our law has forbidden our own
citizens entering into any negotia-
tf0ns with a foreign government
concerning its relations with our
own Government. Such negotiations
can only be carried on under the
direction Of the President
Whenever any Of the press Of our
Z
influence in behalf OF foreign in
terests. the candor OF the situation
would be greatly increased il their
foreign connections were publicly
disclosed. All public business ought
TO be publicly conducted.
The Need for Publicity
one Of the strongest safeguards Of
the integrity of official action Is
publicity. This does not mean an
espionage Of all personal and private
action Of Government officials, but
kt does mean publicity concerning the
discharge OF the duties which they
nave chosen to perform. All those
who have interests which may be
affected by governmental action
should have the privilege OF employ
ing representatives to present their
cause and defend their rights. No.
body questions this on the judicia}
side. but those who are 80 engaged
are required to be licensed and their
appearance before such tribunals Is
q. matter OF court record. AZ In the
case Of the Federal Government those
who are analogously employed in
legislative and departmental matters
are not required to make a like dis
closure Of the interests which they
\ undertake to serve, 1t is necessary
70 depend on the press for such In.
formation.
It is perhaps stating the obvious
TO say that the press should be
patriotic. This does not require any
4 disparagement OF the advantages
which other people enjoy in their
own country. Whatever it may be
= In some individual cases, other coun-
tries are best adapted to the people
y as a whole who live there. and our
4 country is certainly the best country
Tor our people.
Cites COuntry's Progress
The freedom enjoyed here. the in.
etitutions OF disagreement, the
protection OF the individual. the
standards of living. the comforts and
even the Iuxuries, the unexampled
progress in national development
and, in general. equal opportunity
not in any narrow and limited sense
but on both the material and spir
itual sides Of life. broad and un
bounded-aIl these are sufficient Il
warrant the admiration and rever
encs OF every informed mind.
More progress has been made In
this country in scientific develop
naent in the last $50 years than had
been made in all the world from
the day of julius Caeser to Georgt
Washington. Our successes have
not betrayed our judgment or hard
ened our heart. In spite of sporadic
outbreaks of violence, one OF oul
chief characteristics is q profound
reverence for humanity. On oul
record and on our prospects there