Evening star., 1935-12-29
NEWS LETTERS HIT
AS PROPAGANDA"
Journalism instructors in
Convention Hear Writers
Defend "Brain Trust"

~----~--@N-"@
attacked as the sources Of whispering
campaigns against Presidents, and the
brain trust" was defended as better
than hack politicians" in an adj
dress last night by J. Fred Essary,
veteran Washington correspondent of
the Baltimore Sun.
Before the Joint convention BAN
quet in the National Press Club Of
the American Association of Schools
and Departments Of Journalism and
the American Association of Teach
ers Of Journalism. Essary declared
rumors discrediting Presidents mental
or moral habits to be poisonous,
scandalous propaganda" They have
their origin, he said, in some of the
confidential" news letters distrib-
uted from Washington to paid sub
scribers
President Roosevelt and every other
Chief Executive of this century has
been the target of such whispering
campaigns, Essary said.
The professors" of the New Deal,
he stated, are loyal, intelligent and
useful" lot, some Of them Impractical
theorists" but altogether better quail
fed to be advisers to a President than
''the hack politicians" Of some past
administrations.
Riegel Wins $50 Prize.
Oscar w. Riegel, head of the Lee
Memorial School of Journalism at
Washington and Lee University, was
announced as the winner of the $50
Sigma Delta Chi award for useful
Journalistic research Tully Nettle-
ton of the Christian Science Monitor,
treasurer of the professional journal
istic fraternity, presented the prize
to Prof. Riegel for his book, "Mobiliz-
ing for Chaos"
Eugene Meyer, publisher of the
Washington Post and representative
OF Washington publishers who were
hosts for the banquet, said he had
faith in journalism schools and their
products, believing the "art of journal
ism is getting Gu a higher plane all
the time
The new president Of the Associa-
tion of Schools and Departments of
Journalism. Grant NJ Hyde, acting
head of the Wisconsin School of Jour-
nalism, was introduced by his prede-
cessor. Dean Frank L. Martin of the
Missouri University Journalism School.
At yesterdays earlier sessions dele
gates heard addresses by several
Washington correspondents and COL
umnistS, publicity man, and a repre-
sentative of a Government press in
formation service
Columnist Stresses Accuracy.
Paul Mallcn, whose column appears
in The Star, discussed development of
the news behind the news" column
and sources from which such informa-
tion is derived. Columns like his,
Mallcu said, require more careful
checking in the interests of accuracy
than regular news reports.
Raymond Clapper, former commen-
tator for the Washington Post, spoke
OF the poverty of methods in this
democracy of measuring public opin-
Ion. He complimented certain maga-
zine and newspaper polls for their ac-
curate estimates of national sentiment.
McDermott Speaks.
Machinery in the State Depart
fnent for dissemination of news was
described by Michael j. McDermott,
veteran chief Of the departments di-
vision Of current information.
Government propaganda is plenti-
full in this administration, but does
not bluff the trained correspondent,
according to Raymond P. Brandt,
head of the st. Louis Post Dispatch
Bureau here; Richard L. Wilson, Des
Moines Register and Tribune corre-
spondent, and w. M. Kiphnger, edi-
tor of a confidential" news letter.
They addressed the afternoon con-
vention session Brandt and Wilson
both reported they had found hand
outs"-news releases from Government
departments-more factual than fam
ciful and "as objective as possible
under the circumstances"
Thomas r. Shipp. Washington pub
licity man, told the convention "ad-
vertising has done more to make this
country what it is today than any
other single force, and the wise pub
lie relations counselor will insist on
the use of advertising in the solution
of practically all public relations
problems"
Today's program is devoted, chiefly
to sight seeing, although regional
teachers groups are to have break
fast conferences at the Willard Hotel,
with five journalism instructors re-
porting on matters peculiar to their
sections.
Dewitt Mackenzie, director of the
Associated Press foreign service, will
speak tomorrow, first day of the
convention, on THE Press and In
ternational Friction" Other speakers
and their topics include: Miss Anna
Youngman, Washington Post, "Edi-
torial Interpretations of Economic
Problems; Seymour Berkson, manag-
ing editor and director of the foreign
division, Universal Service; Leland
Stowe, New York Herald Tribune, and
Mrs. Eleanor Medill Patterson, pub
Usher of the Washington Herald
Roundtables for special interest
groups will be conducted during the
afternoon, with discussion of news
picture and radio problems scheduled