Evening star., 1934-04-21
TUGWE[L ADDRESS
TO CLIMAX EDITOR
SESSION TONIGHT.
National Organization In
dorSes Victorious Fight for
Freedom Guarantee.
DISCLOSES CRITICISM
OF RAP BY ROOSEVELT
Bruce Bliven Tells Meeting Cen
sorship Clamped on Eight
Ninths of Worlds Readers.

The American Society Of Newspaper
Editors today was winding UP its
twelfth annual meeting at the Ma
tional Press Club with further dis
cussion Of problems of the craft. To-
night, at the Willard Hotel, the ses-
sion will be concluded with a banquet
at which Rexford G. Tugwell, Assist
ant Secretary of Agriculture, will
speak.
In one of the final papers prepared
for today's gathering, Tom Wallace.
editor OF the Louisville Times, told his
associates they Cannot be valiant in
print and a valet at heart"
"The writer who is constantly made
to feel that he is a subordinate and
must always consider the probable
view Of some one else before writing
can only mark time" he said.
w. G. Vorpe Of the Cleveland Plain
Dealer, treating on another branch of
newspaperdom-the commercialization
Of news features-criticized producers
OF these as, In some cases, lending
their talents to the advertising Of COM
mercial products.
Indorse Freedom Fight.
Late yesterday the society voted in
dorsement Of report from its Com
mittee on Press and Public Relations
II lob f1r IN
clusion Of the freedom of the press
code was termed a memorable battle
and glorious victory"
The report said many editors re-
garded as "gratuitous and exceedingly
drastic" the "unmistakable criticism
made by President Roosevelt about
the press freedom clause in dealing
with the code"
The committee also opposed "the
large powers that have been proposed
for Federal Communications Com
mission in Washington, adding:
Despite all safeguards hereinbefore
mentioned, the likelihood that such
Federal Communications Commission
might try to inf1ict a measure of CEN
sorship on the press, along with its
domination Of the telephone and radio
business, is not too remote"
Foreign censorship of control Of
news destined for the United States
was another object of attack.
Cites Censor Growth.
Bruce Bliven, editor of the New Re-
public, told the society that eight
ninths Of the worlds population "is
under serious restrictions of free
speech of a governmental character"
He added:
only one-ninth of roughly some
100000 persons live in countries
where newspapers are without formal
censorship and enjoy the degree of
freedom which We know in the
United States"
Bliven said the United States had
reason to be proud of its freedom of
speech and Of the press in comparison
with many other lands But, he said,
that even here this freedom was quail
fed by three important censorships-
censorship Of the audience, censor
ship through ones economic position
and self-censorship.
A luncheon shop-talk discussion re-
volved about an address of Allen Ray
mond, president of the Newspaper
Guild Of New York. ITO whom II
may concern" was Raymond's open
ing phrase in saying:
There Is today and always will be
one basic determination of the guild
against which no decent newspaper
man can stand-the protection against
all tyranny and oppression of the right
OF this craft to organize"
Raymond said none denied this
right openly, but that guild officers
had evidence of some newspaper oppo-
sition, principally in smaller communi-
ties, secretly by intimidation and
coercion"
Asks Help for Guild.
"This evidence will be submitted at
the proper time. not alone to the Gov
ernment and its courts, but to public
opinion" he said. "Ive come here
to ask your help for the guild; I am
confident am going to get it."
Several editors questioned the atti-
tude indicated by Raymond's opening
remark. Roy Howard, chairman of
the Scripps-Howard newspapers, said
he had some regret at the tone of
to whom it may concern"
Howard said the guild should deter
mine whether it was to employ trade
union tactics.
Il can't conceive Of the men behind
the guild resorting to trade-uion tao
tics unless driven to them as a last
resort" Howard said, asking also
whether a 100 per cent guild member
ship might not make class publications
out of newspapers which had strug-
gled for years to free the press of par
tisanship.
Marlen Pew Of Editor and Publisher
likewise distinguished between the
guild and union, terming "unioniza-
ton OF editorial forces unthinkable." "