Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-19
NEWSPAPERS CITED
AS LIFE OF NATION
BY ARTHUR CAPPER
Senator Addresses Society
of Editors Meeting at
Press Club.
SPECIAL POSITION ASKED
FOR STORIES ON CRIMES
George B. Parker Makes Denuncia-
ton of public Relations
Engineers"

A@A6 AASSAS'
"The newspapers are the breath of
life for the Nation and without them
the Union would perish. They cement
the 48 States" Senator Arthur Capper,
himself the owner of 10 publications,
told the seventh annual convention OF
the American Society of Newspaper Edi-
tors, meeting at the Press Club today.
Senator Capper said that while he
saw need in the metropolitan centers
for crime news, nevertheless he be-
lieved that there really ought to be a
backyard in the newspapers where the
crime news refuse could be thrown for
those who care for that sort of thing.
Senator Capper was called upon to
speak on us the Editorial Page Going
Out?" The Kansas Senator's answer
was in the negative. THE editorial
page retains all of its influence with
the thinkers of the community" he
said. He saw some slackening of in his
own publications of the old letter to
the editor writer on questions of pub
lie interest, but found that when it
came to be a matter of dogs running
loose in the street and similar subjects,
that the community is even more inter-
ested in the editorial page. He did not
attempt to explain this trend, but
suggested that the discovery in the past
20 years or so of local news by COM
munity papers has had a great deal to
do with it.
Parker Speaks.
Called to substitute for Senator Henry
j. Allen of Kansas, George B. Parker,
editorial head of the Scripps- Howard
newspapers, addressed the gathering this
morning on News and Public Utilities"
Parker denounced what he termed the
public relations engineers" employed
by utilities for propaganda purposes, as
just recently exposed by the Federal
Trade Commission. e..
He urged the editors to demand
label on all news releases from utility
concerns and suggested special watch
fitness for misleading and unlabeled
information.
In the discussion following Parker's
talk, Willis j. Abbott of the Christian
Science Monitor urged the society to
name a committee to investigate the
activities of the International Paper
Co., one of the largest paper manufac-
turing concerns in the country, along
the lines of power plant and newspaper
purchases. Abbott took the floor in re-
Spouse to a request from Walter M.
Harrison, president of the society, that
an explanation be given of the recent
sale of the Boston Herald and Traveller.
Cites Boston Case.
Abbott charged that the Herald and
Traveller, along with interests in other
Gently by the paper concern ostenSibly
for the purpose of creating a market
for its products. He pointed out, how
ever. that the paper company also has
been actively buying in stock in power
plants throughout New England and
the Nation and further charged the
paper company. with exerting influence
on the Federal Trade Commission and
Agriculture Department officials to d.
vert attention on the part of these ofi-
Gals from it's activities outside of the
paper manufacturing field. The So
ciety took no action on his suggestion
for an investigating committee.
William Allen White of the Emporia
Gazette was another speaker this
The Kansas editor traced his
and discussed the trends of journalism
in the past two decades.
TX Shuman, executive editor Of the
Brooklyn Standard Union, who as a
for the New York Times trav-
eled with Col. Lindbergh through
Mexico, Central America and the West
Indies, also addressed this mornings
session.
The editors will be received tomorrow
at 1890 by President Hoover at the
White House.
Gag" Law AssaiIed.
The Minnesota newspaper gag" law,
which permits a single judge. without a
jury trial, to enjoin the publication of
a newspaper which regularly prints
malicious, scandalous or defamatory
matter" came In for scathing criticism
from Walter M. Harrison, president OF
the society, in his opening address at
the editors session yesterday afternoon.
President Harrison called upon his fell
low editors to get behind the night
against the measure, which Is being
Minnesota and which may eventually
be carried before the Supreme Court Of
the United States.
mo larger club could be held over
the newspaper profession by the judici-
airy. Under such a tyrannical statute a
corrupt Judge might silence any fair
comment about his derelictionS and kill
a newspaper by temporary writ that
would ruin going business before the
editor might have an opportunity to
prove his case during his day in court.
r. q. Dunlap. of the ST. Paul Dis
patch. for the committee on legislation
and freedom Of the press, reviewed the
statute In full.
Criticism Of Sports News.
Some editors methods of handling
sports news. came In for criticism from
William p. Beazen of the New York
World at yesterday afternoons session.
Beazell particularly referred to the ball
lyinoo given the Sharkey- Stribling fight
at Miami. Editors all over the country
handled that story without sense OF
shame" Beazell said. Editors have
lost their sense OF proportion In the
Of sports news, he declared.
He pointed out, however, that there
is q great field for legitimate sports
news. Interest in sports, he said, Is
growing every day and there should
be plenty of sports news, but he urged
greater discretion in its handling.
Open discussions of the journalism
school question brought debate be-
tween H. T. Claus, of the Boston
Transcript and r. E. Stevenson, Of the
waterbury American and Republican.
Claus urged that the journalism schools
teach more practical newspaper work
while Stevenson held that the news
paper ofIiees provide the facilities tor
practical application by journalism
students while the schools should con-
centrate upon educating the student
along academic lines.
------.--