Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-17
GREEN ADDRESSES
EDITORS SOCIETY
A. F. L. Head Warns Press
on Labor and Gag-Kent
Unmasks Politicians.

A warning against Identifying as
movements OF organized labor the de
structive and impossible" plans Of de-
signing groups was sounded before the
American Society of Newspaper Editors
today by William Green, president OF
the American Federation OF Labor. The
annual convention of the society opened
here yesterday
Ths editors were urged by Mr.. Green
to discriminate between labor spokes-
men and other prisons. The press is
sometimes deceived" Mr.. Green assert
ed. into referring to misguided groups
as labor organizations and to their r-p-
resentatives as labor spokesman.
"They neither represent labor, NOR 40
they speak for labor. The public, now
ever, can learn the difference only
press" he added.
Labor, MT. Green explained, places a
great value upon public opinion ana
upon the power of newspapers to mod
public opinion. He reviewed the an
tagonism encountered by ORGANIZED
labor in its early efforts to improve
living conditions, adding that as LABOR 5
aims became b:tter known they received
the commentator of the press.
Scores Publicity Seekers.
Other speakers at today's session
were Frank r. Kent OF the Baltimore
sun and Alhin E. Johnson. who recently
was correspondent for the New York
world at Geneva. Mr.. Kent spoke on
politicians and Publicity" while Mr..
Joflnson's subject was The Press
Abroad Viewed by an American"
Mr.. kent said politicians must de-
pend entirely on publicity to be sue,
cessful and that they wanted aooVe al
other things favorable publicity.
He said all politicians were publicity
seekers and that no Government OF
fetal could prove popular before the
country unless he received favorable
comment from the correspondents.
Holds Politicians Spoiled.
"The dependency of politicians upon
publicity Is really complete" MT. Kent
said. ITS no use man being gooo
President, or Senator, or Representative
unless he can get the fact in the news
papers.
what every public man here, from
the President in the White House. down
to the most obsure member OF the
House of Representatives. wants. u
publicity. There is not much use being
here If he doesn't get it. Publicity Is
the life blood of politics. without it
the game Just can't be played.
Now it isn't just publicity the poll
tician wants-it's favorable publicity.
The old adage that It's better to be
roasted than ignored is amusing, but
not true. There isn't a public man
anywhere who, In his heart. subscribes
tc it. There isn't one anywhere who
doesn't vince from newspaper criticism.
And the higher they climb the more
they vince.
Public Men for Humor.
"The truth Is most Of the politicians
In this place are badly spoiled by IA
vorable publicity" he continued.
Nearly all Of them are astute and as
siduous seekers after 1t. They give out
speeches, hold press conferences ana
make more or less business Of prop
uganda.
What they want Is to be taken by
the newspaper men as seriously as they
take themselves-and in main they are
What they resent more than anything
else is i1umor. Make q little fun Of
one of them and he goes all to pieces
Kid him q little and he goes crazy
I have actually had them cry about
that.
"The thing that always irritates me
about newspaper men Is the uncon.
scious habit so many have formed Of
looking up to these politicians who
get into high or low ONCE. instead OF
looking down on them as they have
every right to do"
The writer said there were many
humbugs among the publicity seekers
in the National Capital and added that
he believed If correspondents were
lie know them intimately there would
IA fnuyaF If that VARIETY
Radio Topic at Luncheon.
Radio and its relation to the news
paper was the topic Of informal discus
sion at the luncheon Of the editors to-
day in the National Press Club. w. @
Vorpe, Sunday editor Of the Cleveland
Plain Dealer, was chairman, assisted
by volney D. Hurd, radio editor OF the
Christian Science Monitor and president
citation
Many Of the editors present repre-
scented newspapers which own ttleir
own hroadcasting stations, and several
speakers forecast that broadcasttng and
the news press will come into closer
relation with the passing years. AL
ready q large number Of dominant
radio stations In widely separated sec
tons Of the country are operated by
newspapers.
It was the consensus that supple
mentary broadcastS Of late news events
are helpful so long as they are given
IN the name Of the local newspaper
although q question was raised as tc
the proprtety Of news events being
broadcast in the name of press asso-
Citations or radio stations not AFFILIATED
with newspapers.
Received by Hoover.
Following the opening session yes
terday at the National Press Club the
editors were received at the White
House last night by President Hoover.
The visitors conferred informally with
the President IN his Study for almost
two hours.
Tonight the editors have been invited
to be guests Of the Press Club at the
premiere motion picture showing Of
1.-The Front Page" newspaper thriller
Two showingS are planned, one at
O'Clock and another at 10 O'Clock.
At the opening session yesterday the
editors exchanged greetings by radio
telegraph and cable with newspaper
executives In IL countries. Transmitting
and receiving machines were installed
in the assembly room and the following
message was dispatched when the con-
yention was called TO order:
The American Society Of Newspaper
Editors, In annual convention at the
National Press Club, Washington, sends
you, and through you to newspaper
makers and readers Of your country, the
greetings Of professional fraternity and
international good ILL.,"
Within 80 minutes after the greeting
was flashed out replies had been re.
ceived from editors in Europe, Canada
South America, Hawaii and the Fan
East.
Green Hits Injunctions.
In his address this morning Mr.
Green said there would be no conpro.
mise between organized labor and de.