Evening star., 1936-04-20
NEWS HELD CURB
TO DICTATORSHIP
Sir WiIimott Lewis, Mencken
and Frank B. Noyes Talk
at A. P. Meeting.
BY the Associated Press.

NEW YUM, ApTu lU.-lWC IOteQ
newspaper men, Henry L. Mencken
and Sir Willmott Lewis. addressed the
annual luncheon of the Associated
Press today, with Mencken urging
greater emphasis on editorial pages
and Sir Willmott calling news "the
chief source of opinion by which gov
ernment in democratic countries must
proceed"
Sir Willmott. Washington CORE
spondent Of the London Times. in
stressing the importance Of a free
press, said:
THE newspapers Of today are not
in all lands free, but where they still
| have liberty and defend it-against
enemies without and within-where
they stand for discussion and agree
ment, setting themselves unbreakably
| against the RECOMMENDATION of custom
and obedience by goose-step, even the
| cynic may find place for hope"
Most Critics Bad, Says Mencken.
Mencken, Of the Baltimore Sun
papers, said: "The newspaper is rot
only news -monger: it is also a critic"
| That it may be bad one is be-
side the point; nine-tenths of all
critics are bad Ones" the editor and
writer said. "The essential thing is
that it is the only critical agency Of
any genuine competence and inf1u-
ence that is left in the American
scheme of things.
Il don't argue here that newspapers
ought always to be 'agin' the Gov
ernment. Far from it, All I argue
is that they ought to be ready for it
when, as and if it needs attention.
And when they have something to
say about it. whether in challenge or
in commendation. they ought to say
something in type legible at a dis
tance of at least 6 inches and under
headlines suitable to the Importance
of the subject and in place less de-
pressing than the funeral parlor Of
the editorial page"
In calling for vigorous editorial
writing. Mencken said:
The effort to keep the news columns
clean of editorializing has reacted on
the editorial page itself.
We have all worked so hard-and
!. no one less than the directors of the
Associated Presto make news writing
really impartial that we have come
near making editorial writing impair
tial, too. Is that an improvement? I
have some doubt Of it. ."
Noyes Stresses Impartial News.
Frank B. Noyes. publisher of The
Washington Star and president of the
Associated Press, presided at the
luncheon.
With the Nation preparing for a
presidential campaign, Noyes reiterated
the unbiased and non-partisan atti-
tude Of the Associated Press in the
dissemination of news.
1T will surprise none of you to
learn that this is year when the
United States goes through presi-
Dental campaign" he said. And so
it seems desirable that what I say
today be confined to a statement of
the fundamental mission of the As
Sociated Press, namely. the creation
for us of the news report; also that
state publicly how through this or
ganization we try to obtain for our
newspapers accurate and impartial
news.
"In any campaign our newspapers
or ourselves as individuals may have
preferences Just as may be the case
on all controversial questions, but
this institution of ours which we call
the Associated Press must not favor
or oppose anything. With that no
member Of the Associated Press has
ever disagreed"
Toast to White House Pair.
The one toast of the luncheon, ac-
cording to custom, was given TO
President and Mrs. Roosevelt. 1t was
offered by President Noyes, who said !:
"On these annual occasions, it is
our custom to drink but one toast.
ask you to rise and drink to the
health of the President Of the United
States and that of the gracious lady of
the White House"
Noyes paid tribute to Sir Willmott
and Mencken. The latter, he said, lis
an extraordinary combination of q
great journalist, a great radical and
a great conservative
In his capacity of Washington cor
respondent Of the London Times, II
Noyes said, "Sir Willmott has rendered
a great service to the English-speaking
peoples. For day by day, year by year,
he has interpreted to Great Britain the
changing currents of thought IN the
United States sympathetically, intelli-
gently and comprehensively, to the
enormous advantage of both common
wealths. His understanding of our
problems, our people, Is, believe, as
complete as that of any man"
Sir Willmott, recalling the origin of
the expression of "the fourth estate" as
used for the press, said: "The press is
no longer fourth in the hierarchy of
national powers-it Is hardly less than
first in the sweep and continuity Of
its influence.
Danger Held From Within.
Both in England and in the United
States the danger which confronts
what We call freedom OF the press is
not chiefly from without, for that we
can meet, but from within.
ut Is, as I see it, q danger which
grows with the growth and with the
increasing intesration of the news
| paper systematic danger that the
freedom which makes us great and
useful may make some among US too
great, that individuals may acquire O
power which (if the freedom we de-
mand is to be ours) they cannot be
prevented from harnessing in the serv-
ice of personal ambition rather than
of the community from which their
strength flows.
We are all Of us, each in his place,
among the guardians Of freedom, but
'Quid custodiet ipsos custodes?' asked
the stern old Roman-who shall guard
your own guards?
II beg Of you earnestly to believe
that these doubts are not mine alone.
but that they preoccupy the minds of
innumerable men within my own
craft, which Is that of writer, not