Evening star., 1934-04-23

stitutional protection that we have,
why not to us?
You will understand. therefore.
that I approach my annual exhorta-
ton to you with distinct reserve.
so far as the police powers of the
various States are concerned, the As
sociated Press, which is merely the
collective reporter of its members. has
no concern. The States can regulate
the plumbing as they please, they can
prescribe as to fire escapes according
to their sweet wills-God forbid that
we interfere in these days with fire
escapes or any other safe method Of
exit.
But when there is a possibility of
an interference with the right of a
citizen to express in print his view OF
any subject under discussion, then We
are keenly on notice.
Principles of Al
"You, here assembled, are the As
sociated Press. The association was
founded on the determination that
for the preservation of free press 1t
was essential that the dominant news
gathering and distributing organiza-
ton should be cooperative, non-profit
making, non-partisan, non-sectarian
and with no economic basis what
ever
This determination has resulted in
the Associated Press of today"
General Manager Cooper described
the meeting of managing editors Of
member newspapers and Associated
Press executives, last Fall at French
Lick Springs as valuable aid to news
dissemination. His report of his 1888
management labeled this interchange
of Journalistic views as "one of the
most salutary things that has oc-
CURED in many year"
At the French Lick meeting, the
entire executive staff met for two days,
with 81 editors actually in charge of
the news on their papers.
Il saw in that meeting" Cooper
said, "the fruition of my own ambi-
tious hopes that some day the man
aging editors OF Associated Press news
papers would create such an organiza-
ton and have such meeting annually
at which the executives of the asso-
citation could get down to brass tacks
in the work in which both are vitality
interested"
In his report, the general manager
lof the Associated Press cited an ever
Increasing news coverage, encompass
ing more widespread coverage Of ma
tional news from Washington and
faster distribution and improvement Of
foreign items.
Washington Staff Increased.
The Washington staff, Cooper re-
ported. has been increased to IS.
with this staff" he added. every
State and regional news development
which has an action or an echo In
Washington is watched. There are
literally thousands and thousands OF
words that daily go specially from
Washington to the respective States
and regions"
The foreign service, Cooper said, had
one of the biggest news years since
the World War.
Despite the almost daily pressure
of historical events and the fact that
depreciation of the dollar, coupled
with alteration in cable regulations,
increased transmission tolls by nearly
40 per cent, in some cases, our costs
in this particular were less than in
1892 and considerably below the figure
for 1884," Cooper said.
This was made possible by budget
administration and it is notable that
with less money expended for foreign
news the needs of our papers were
met, If we can judge by letters OF in
dorsement which we received from a
large number of members"
In the domestic service, Cooper said,
the "good-natured rivalry between the
executives charged with morning and
afternoon paper reports" has con-
tinued with even greater success until
we are now able to present, regarding
all important news stories, matter pre-
pared specially for each field and in
conformity with their different re-
quirements."
Improved Service.
On the night side, the report con-
tinued, there has been marked prog
ress in the development Of fresh mat
ter, new stories and also new angles
in night leads, for morning papers"
This was made possible, Cooper said.
by such innovations as special night
staff men at the national and many
State capitals. In addition, night news
editors to further this theme are being
named at various division points.
Both day and night reports" he
said, have shown an improvement in
writing. editing and handling If news. "
In the sports service, the year wit
messed a more extensive regional COW
erage, by leased or commercial wire,
than has even been handled before.
Relative to other branches of the
Associated Press, Cooper said that the
| progress of the news photo service
was marked with more participating
members; that the development Of the
feature service was directed at more
extensive regional coverage; that In
the financial and market service the
number of newspapers served by
| financial wires at the end of 1888 was
greater than at the peak of the boom.
| Directors Nominated.
The following have been nominated
| to succeed the five directors of the
Associated Press whose terms expire
| this year:
Paul Bellamy, Cleveland (Ohio)
Plain Dealer.
John Cowles, Des Moines Qowa)
Register.
Edward Flicker, Bridgeport (Conn.)
Telegram.
| Clark Howell, Atlanta (Ga) Con-
stitution.
Curtis B. Johnson, Charlotte IN. c.
| Observer.
j. r. Knowland, Oakland (Calif)
Tribune.
F. A. Miller, South Bend Und.)
Tribune.
w. j. Pape, Waterbury (Conn) Re-
publican.
Stuart H. Perry, Adrian (Mich)
Telegram.
Charles A. Stauffer, Phoenix (Ariz.)
Republic.
HULL SPEECH APPROVED.