The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-11-06
FREEDOM OF PRESS NOT
 ENDANGERED.

Col Robert R. Mccormick, Editor and Publisher of the Chicago Tribune one of the Nations greatest and most widely read newspapers on the occasion ot the 2O0h anniversary of Americas first notable demon stration of the freedom of the press attacked the MIRA as menace that great instrument of liberty He but voiced the views of a not inconsiderable number of newspaper publishers and corporations engaged in the publication of newspapers.
 These gentlemen are of course, entitled to their opinion and have the right to express it. And news papers, being what they are, will record it in full They will in fact, already have duly proclaimed the belief of MT Mccormick and his prototypes that the end of democracy is at hand if and when the newspapers of the United States are put under code. And it is notable that even those newspapers which signed the Presidents blanket agreement without waiting for special code of their own have not been niggardly in giving space to MT. Mccormick. controlled press, in danger of having it's inalienable right to print "a the news all the time, and to comment thereon, would hardly do that
 MT Hearst contributes his bit by saying he is opposed to the NRA system and urges newspapers ito tolerate it less and expose it more He and all others of his entitled declare opposition to MIRA They have done it. They are still out or jail and their newspapers continue to issue daily. No has threatened to prosecute them or to take away their newspapers or to close them down That seems to be fine demonstration of the freedom of the press
 It is not a remarkable thing that every industry goes to Washington to talk codes with argument ready. To each of them, their own activity is diff ferent. It ought to be allowed an exception Coal, oil steel textiles, the department stores chain store systems and what not, all point to some quirk in their organization that sets them apart from the ordinary of industry and business that entities them to special consideration. And so it is to af 4,o ,,hl cbarc Spa some of their profits threatened They don't object to seeing the other fellow curbed it is fine thing, but with them it is altogether different. So they drag out the freedom of the press and Haunt 1t before the public to fears that the right of free speech is about to be taken away from the American public.
 That is not true. No in Washington has threatened to curb the newspapers and prevent them from publishing the facts or expressing their interpretation of them. The press is just as free in that respect it in the days of the Hoover prosperity. If they prefer the Hoover system to the NRA they at perfect liberty to say so, and to all of their influence to bring it back. It is noticeable that none of them have ventured that far. But if they want the open shop system to prevail, if they want to continue to operate without a minimum wage provision and without a maximum hours of labor standard they are blind to the demands of the public upon which they depend for existence. And they are cheating when they camor about the freedom of the press being endangered. Newspaper publishers are made out of the same sort of clay as the rest of the human race. They aren't superior or lordly race of beings. They merely have advantage that of possessing vehicle in which they express themselves every day in the year. When that is sought to be taken away from them they will have grounds to howl about the freedom of the press Until it is, and that hasn't transpred yet, they convicting themselves of poor sportsmanship and dragging the press itself in the mire