Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-07
HEARST COUNSEL
HITS RADIO PLEA
Declares American Publish
ers' Request for 20 FIRE.
quencies Is Selfish.
BY the Associated Press.

ny tuS aSoOCtdJcQ EIGSS.
The Radio Commission today made
public a protest by John Francis Neylan,
counsel for the Hearst newspaper Or
ganization, which charged that the pro-
posed allotment by the American pub
fishers committee of 20 short wave
radio frequencies set aside for press use
lis designed for the selfish interest. con-
venience and private profit of the Chi
cago Tribune and few associate news
papers"
The protest referred to a report by
Joseph Pierson, chairman of the Amer
lean publishers committee, suggesting
that the wave lengths be turned over
to an organization known as the Amer
lean News Traffic Corporation, which
was formed on January 10 by a num-
Der of interested newspapers. The
Pierson report has not been made public
by the commission, nor has any action
been taken concerning it.
Mr.. Neylan's protest denied that the
"so-called American publishers COM
mittee on cable and radio commune
cation represents the American press or
any considerable portion thereof" and
also denied that "the alleged report
of the said Pierson of January Is, 1929,
Is truthful or correct report Of the
pIOCeGOlIlSS VI llIe SU-CdllCu
publishers committee"
Doubt Good Faith.
The proposed ALLEGATION, the protest
said, was not in good faith with the
conditions laid down by your honorable
commission"
"On the contrary" Neylan said, 81
charge that the proposed plan is de-
signed to thwart and set at naught
the purposes of the Federal Radio Com
mission to protect the entire American
public and the American press"
The document further denies that
the proposed ALLEGATION was agreed upon
latter an honest consideration of the
facts" and charged that it was arrived
at on a basis of manipulation and
trickery without regard for the rights
of the public or the American press :"
1t asserted that the ALLEGATION, "taken
in conjunction with the ALLEGATION of
transoceanic waves heretofore made by
the said publishers committee would
give to one newspaper, the Chicago
Tribune, and three of its associates
direct or indirect control of II of the
total of 40 transoceanic and domestic
waves allocated to the press of the
United States"
Il herewith charge" Neyland con-
tinued, that wave lengths have been
allocated to single newspapers not be-
cause of their Importance to the public,
but for the sole reason that they have
contractual and working agreements
with the Chicago Tribune"
Charges Tribune Control.
The protest said that the American
News Traffic Corporation was mere
instrument Of the Chicago Tribune"
adding that its president was Joseph
Plerson. subordinate editor of the Chi
cago Tribune"
"The secretary" Neylan said, sis one
John P. Gallagher. representative of the
San Francisco Chronicle and Los An
geleS Times, associates of the Chicago
Tribune with Offices in the building Of
the Chicago Tribune"
Il direct the attention of the COM
mittee further" he continued, ito the
fact that the executive committee COM
posed OF five members consists Of Joseph
Pierson of the Chicago Tribune, chair
man, and four gentlemen located in the
city Of New York"
Neylan declared he wished to direct
the attention of the commission to that
part of the Pierson report which, as a
matter of justification for the exist
ence OF the American News Traffic Cor
poration, said Pierson alleges that this
corporation is holding itself ready to
serve the Associated Press"
II deny" Neylan said. "that said
Pierson has any warrant of any kind or
character to set up a guardianship for
the Associated Press" He said he was
informed land believe and therefore
assert that said Pierson had positive
knowledge that said Associated Press
would not be involved in the proposed
scheme, and I further charge that the
inclusion of the name of the Associated
Press was for the purpose Of mislead-
ing the commission"
IT herewith charge" the protest con-
tinued, that in the ALLEGATION of the
waves Pierson and his coadjutors abb
solutely ignored the rights of the Asso-
ciated Press, the greatest news-gather-
ing organization in the United States
or in the world"