Evening star., 1934-03-02

President Roosvelt's comment, upon
the occasion of his signing Of the
newspaper code, that the freedom of
the press clause was so much SUI
plusage" and had no more place in the
code than "a recitation of the whole
Constitution or of the Ten Command
ments" received much criticism from
the press of the Nation. Observers
were practically unanimous in express
ing resentment against the implied
criticism of newspaper standards and
reasserted vigorously the contention
that q licensed press can never pe q
free one.
There is an undertone OF resent
ment against the Presidents COM
ment, made when he signed the
newspaper N. R. A. code. He remarked
that all the argument about free
dom of the press was idle chatter,
that it was not necessary to insist
upon the inclusion in the code OF q
clause providing for this freedom, as
the Constitution guaranteed IT," dc.
clafes the Danville (Ill) Commercial
News. However, ''if insistence upon
the inclusion of the freedom OF the
press clause was just so much waste
effort. the attempt to force this clause
out must have been waste effort also.
THE well-considered public opinion
Of the country will disagree with the
President in this matter and feel that
he has been poorly advised in making
this statement" says the Asbury Park
Evening Press, and the Watertown
Daily Times feels that he has &C
cepted the code In a way that Is not
characteristic Of him."
The Denver Rocky Mountain News,
on the other hand, expresses this
opinion: 1T is the custom OF news
papers to be critical of Presidents.
Now, in transmitting the newspaper
code, . President becomes critical OF
newspapers. Whereupon certain news
papers grow highly insulted.' The
New York Herald Tribune, for ex-
ample, calls for apologies from the
President. To us the affair seems to
classify as one Of those rare news
events, immortalized by Dana, In
which the man bites the dog. The
Constitution guarantees freedom OF
both speech and the press. The news
papers enjoy free press. The Presi-
dent enjoys free speech. so, as tle
saying goes, that Is that"
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletm
asserts that, go far as the prescr1p-
ton Of operating conditions, the regu-
lation Of the industry Of newspaper
preparation, publication and circuia-
ton Is concerned, American news
papers neither ask nor suggest an ex-
ception to the general policy appn-
cable to all industry, any more tnan
they seek exception from State iapor
laws or other statutes applicable %
industry in the ordinary functionlng
Of State or National Government.
mo matter how well disposed the
Government may appear, the way
never should be left open Tor 1t 10
put q curb on freedom Of the press.
For without q free press the people
themselves cannot be free," declares
the Buffalo Evening News. ana the
san Antonio Evening News observes
that, "in this day-as for Q long time
past-the peoples principal depend
ence for the facts and the truth they
need Is the press" Indeed. the In
dianapolis News thinks that any re-
minder Of the country's record In
respect to freedom for the expression
Of opinion, and declaration that 1t
cannot be swerved from the course
which It has determined, Is q con-
tribution to the country's freedom,
and will in time be duly appreciated
By those Wf1oge feelings It may seem
70 ha~o injured at thb timo."