The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-25
PRESIDENT REPLIES
TOSCHALL CHARGES
ON CENSORED PRESS
Roosevelt Asked Facts, Receiv-
ed Singing Reply from
MINI. Senator
SAYS incident CLOSED
Allegation 10 That Administers
ton Plans Controlled News
And Radio
SAYS INCIDENT CLOSED

V60C ktOOOcVe1t 0dtuIOAy IOlQ 6eL1tOI
schall, (Rep, Minn), that the lat
ter had failed to substantiate his
charges that q government press
agency was being formed and said
the incident Is closed"
Mr.. Roosevelt sent the following
telegram to schall:
Yesterday I sent you . telegram in
good faith because you had made I
statement that persons in the admin
istration were planning some form Of
press or radio government controlled
news agency designed to supersede
private agencies.
"As any such plan would be con-
trary to the administrators policy, I
requested you with the utmost polite
ness TO give me the facts behind your
charges.
"Today I received from you q vitu-
perative two-page letter which gives
no facts and does not answer my SIM
pie request. The incident Is closed"
Senator Sends Letter
Senator Schall sent an open letter
to President Roosevelt reiterating
that the administration intends to
force = censorship ioG the press"
It followed demand by the presl-
dent for the Facts on which the sen.
ator bassd his recent assertion that
plans are under consideration for -
national press service to take the
place Of the Associated Press, the
Hearst News Services, and the United
Press" The service, schall said,
would ''have exclusive Cse Of al gov
crnment news and be in q position to
give its service only to those news
papers loyal to the Roosevelt DICTATOR
SHIP"
Asks Basis for Charges
"since I should assume that the
statements were not made without
basis in fact" Mr.. Roosevelt tele-
graphed the senator late Friday, Il
request that you give me the benefit
Of such facts as you have In support
OF the charges you caused to be made.
Once these facts are In my hands,
they win receive immediate attention
in order to make impossible the things
YOU say will be done, because I am
just Is much opposed to them Is you
are"
schall's 650-word reply was issued
q few hours later.
"You ask me for information con-
corning what you yourself have done"
II said. "Are you attempting to Sc
cure the facts 50 that you may Be In
4 position to refute YOURSELF"
"Your telegram to me bears out
the suggestion Of the constant effort
t. mislead and fool the public" the
Minnesotan, frequent critic Of the
administration, wrote. "Your desire
to make yourself appear before the
people Of the United States as q
champion Of . free press may be as
i1:sincere as your promises to the
people when you accepted the Demo-
cratic nomination ct Chicago with the
statement that you were for their
platform 100 per cent.
Cites Press Code
ITO date you have not kept one Of
the covenants you pledged the people
ct that time. Let me recall your
testy anger at your disappointment in
keeping out Of the press code the ex-
pression Of . free press.
Tor me to chronicle oil Of the At
tempts Of your administration to
throttle the press and free speech
ell known to you and approved By you
In advance-would Be but to recite
incidents With which you are entirely
familiar. II It were not for the fact
that zee in your request for inform
alton IN attempt on your part to
appear Is . victim Of your own bur-
eaucracy instead Of its chief organic
ef. would be inclined to ignore your
telegram.
'But since you assume = cloak Of
innocence and since your telegram to
me Is In the. hands Of the press, It
becomes my duty 9 . sentinel Of the
people 70 do what little Team to miti-
cate their deception BY citing specific
evidence Of, your intention TO force
= censorship Of the press 90 that your
acts and the acts Of your communis-
to bursaucrats might b. hidden from
public gase."
echall than referred to what he
termed "the press censorship bill"
passed by the house ana killed ii the
senate during the special session last
year. He said that under II . pub.
lisher not approved by the admins
tratton could have been sentonced
70 10 years. imprisonment. and that
Chairman Summers (Dem.-Tex.) Of
the houDe judiciary committee had
stated the bill Was introduced at the
request of the yexecutive.'