Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-23
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

i, against is not so much who owns the
paper as how the paper uses its inf1u-
ence. It. is remindful of President
Roosevelt's attitude as to Big Bust
ness'--it mattered less how big was the
business organization than it did what
Big Business" was doing with its pow
er for good or evil. Editorial comment
indicates that the monopoly control OF
newspapers is OF little danger, II the
actual ownership is known. 1t is easy
to camouflage actual ownership of stock,
especially when 1t is owned by q great
corporation and held by individual
members Of the corporation in their
personal names.
*&*
Nevertheless, a real menace to public
sentiment does exist, not only in con-
trolled' newspapers, but also in CON
trolled" statesmen. What is behind not
merely the printing press but also the
Senator who raves about the controlled
press'3 1t may be only personal preju-
dice or obsesSion.
Yesterday a chronic orator from Dixie
announced that with a total popula-
ton Of $4,000, 900 out of 100, 000, 900, the
Roman Catholics hold rs per cent OF
the Federal offices, and a mere tele-
phone clerk in the White House (now
controlled by q Quaker is q Catholic.
and has the audacity to demand what
the Senator wants to talk to the Presi-
dent about before he will announce the
Senator to the Quaker" That proves
the imminence Of papal invasion. for
the public press has already told that
can in few days. Maybe he will be
on the airship Would controlled
press" be a greater menace to public
security than are some uncontrolled
statesmen? Who is behind statesman
ship? Is 1t the international Paper
Corporation? VIII the Government
censor answer?
It should not be forgotten that early
Quakers declared that the greatest en-
emieS of man were lawyers and doctors
lex the Great made personally con-
Quoted tour to study the action of law
yers in foreign countries, and declared
that there was only one lawyer in Ger
many, and when he returned to his
throne he would behead him. So 1t is
not alone the press which menaces
liber-tea. Will the Senate investigate
the lawyers and doctors? There is no
constitutional provision against limiting
their malign influence as there is re-
garding a free press. Even though the
Senate holds some journalists In It's
membership. does 1t not also hold men,
bers of both those other dangerous pro-
LESSONS? Censor EN-! Also let's censor
all bureaucrats and give the "peepul
| liber tea
| The subject of liberty of the press has
been seriously considered by the League
OF Nations, hence, unlike the Hancock
idea of the tariff. this Is not merely @
/ 10. - M
| however, is more concerned in protect
ing the property rights Of the papers
rights to the news they gather-than
| to any danger to public interests
through abuse Of editorial propaganda.
1t Is assumed that propaganda Of any
controlled" papers will be vigorously
attacked and exposed by competing pa
pers. Such controlled papers soon be-
come known to be so controlled, and
therefore insincere and unreliable. The
! influence OF q paper is measured In the
known liar or trickster loses his in
fluence very emphatically. why
worry?"
| In the League of Nations aide me
MORE on this subject, is this paragraph
THE problem Of the protection Of
press information has for a long time
preoccupied press circles, which or
various occasions endeavored to bring
about either a national or internationa
solution. 1t came before the League Of
Nations in Autumn Of 1928, in the form
of an inquiry undertaken by the secre.
tary general, on the instructions of the
Council, in order to ascertain the views
of the press associations with regard tc
the convocation of q conferences
| proposed by the Assembly to the Council
and eventually with regard to the
technical questions of an internationa
character to be studied by such q con.
ference Several replies mentioned the
problem of the protection Of press in.
| formation as being, In the opinion o.
the writer's, one Of the most important
Of those to be dealt with by the con-