Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-23
HOLDSSENATEMUST
GUARD SECRETS
Newspaper Men Feel Right to
Print News Derived
From Statesmen.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Withdrawal Of Senate floor privileges
from a press associst ton and its repre-
sentative for publishing the Lenroot ex-
ecutive session roll call has revived the
! old question of Capitol newspaper mems
right to print so-called secrets" The
overwhelmingly preponderant view of
the press gallery Is that this is funda-
mental right. and that its exercise vio-
lates neither Senate rules nor journals
tic ethics.
Coupled with that theory is another
view which the Capitol scribes support
just as strongly. That is that before
censuring and disciplining newspaper
men for getting and printing the news
put their own house in order and devise
means for bottling up such information.
, This does not mean that the press gal
lery thinks legislative news, under any
circumstances, should be withheld.
Their opinions run decidedly to the
contrary. Most of them argue that
star -chamber sessions, no matter how
deeply rooted in Senate tradition. are
inconsistent with our system of Govern
ment. So believing, they are all the
reader to contend that If Senators
choose to come out of executive sessions
and tell reporters what transpires in
them. newspaper men are not unethi-
cal in publishing what Is tattled to them.
Hurls Truth at Senate.
!. Senator Hiram johnson, Republican,
of California, in discussing the Lenroot
roll call episode yesterday, hurled the
notorious truth into the Senates teeth.
That truth is that executive proceedings
in the Senate are executive In name
only. They remain secret, as rule.
Mr., johnson pointed out, only until
some Senator or Senators can come in
| contract with Capitol newspaper men and
spill the beans" The Californian de-
clared this has occurred repeatedly and
almost Systematically during his Is
years in the Senate. Many hours before
the rules committee of the Senate
dashed itself into fury over the roll
call disclosure, as Senator johnson ex-
planned. Western newspapers had pub
lished detailed accounts of the "execu-
tive session" debate of Judge Lenroots
eligibility to the Federal bench.
This, Of course, as old timers on Cap
itol Hill-members of Congress- as well
as newspaper men-know. is precisely
what happens on almost every occasion
Of importance. Exactly the same thing
happened last year in connection with
the roll call confirming Roy O. Vests
nomination as Secretary of the Interior.
Since time immortal a popular CO.
undrum at the Capitol has run like
this: When is a secret not secret?
When It's told in executive session" The
number of Senators must be exceedingly
small, who have not at some time or
other conf1ded to newspaper men-for
publication-the results, frequently
minute details, Of executive proceedings,
The practice Is so habitual that it Is
commonplace. 1t is the exceptional
| when 1t is otherwise.
Newspaper men at the Capitol are so
dependent upon members Of Congress
for information. especially develop
mentS which take place of the floor.
| that they would deplore any sort of in
| terrupted contact with Senators and
Representatives But they are not will
| ing to rest under the indictment of be-
| ing faith-breakers because Senators are
willing to divulge executive session Sc
| cret& If the Senate desires to per-
| petuate the executive system, that Is It's
| own affair, rs the newspaper men view
affair, on the other hand, to avail them
selves OF any loquacious layses from the
! system, In which individual Senators
may care to indulge. n Is important
to note that the press gallery. having
| not subscribed to any rule to respect
the Senate's executive gag upon It's
own membership, declines to subscribe
| to the theory that 1t violates, or can
| violate, such rule IN printing eXecu-
| tive news.
Many Journalistic Senators.
In latter-day times the Senate has
been filling up with professional news
paper men. kansas, with Arthur Cap
| per and Henry j. Allen, Is now repre-
scented by two journalistic Senators.
Senator Moses of New Hampshire,
chairman of the rules committee, which
has just disciplined the Lenroot roll
call revealer, was Concord editor when
| he came to the Senate. Senator Van
| denberg of Michigan arrived on Capt.
| toll Hill from his Grand Rapids edito-
| rial sanctum. Senator Nye of North
Dakota Is a country editor by occupa-
! ton.
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin
qualities journslistically as the publisher
| Of La Follettes Weekly. Senator Glass
of Virginia is distinguished editor and
publisher. Senator Tyson of Tennessee
| until recently was Knoxville news
paper proprietor. Senator Copeland of
| New York owns a newspaper at Nyack
and is reputed to make several times
| his senatorial salary by writing syndi-
| cate articles for newspapers. Senator
Edge of New Jersey has newspaper and
advertising interests. Senator Cutting
of New Mexico is an editor and pub
Usher. Senator Metcalf of Rhode Island
| Is large stakeholder in the Providence
Journal.
| With all these friends at court-their
| professional brethren on the fioor-the
| newspaper boys" as politicians like to
call them are hopeful that their