Evening star., 1937-09-02
AMERICAN PRESS
HELD COMPETENT
Newspapers Today Fairest
In History, Forrest Says
in Institute Talk.

~ The Associated Press.
W1LL1AMSTOWN, Mass, Septem-
bW 7-The American press was de-
scrtbed today as the most thorough,
competent and honest that this coun-
try has ever known" by Wilbur Forrest,
executive assistant to Ogden Reid,
president and publisher OF the New
York Herald Tribune.
Forrest made his assertion in an
address prepared for delivery 1T 4
round table discussion on the press At
the Institute of Human Relations.
His talk followed one by Oswald
Garrison Willard. contributing editor
to The Nation, before the second gen.
0ral institute session on the press.
Willard attacked those newspaper
publishers to whom freedom Of the
press meant that men might be at
tackled In their columns without the
freedom to reply to present the truth
when truth had been falsifled"
To the newspaper barons," Willard
said. freedom Of the press did not
mean that the freedom Of their COL
umns was to be extended to those
whom they disliked, whose teachings
they hated or feared, or merely
thought erroneous
There are great groups in their
communities who can never get their
aspirations, their points Of view printed
In the columns OF these newspapers"
he said.
Seek Ideal Newspapers.
Forrest asserted: "All but the few
(newspapers) are on the alert every
day guarding the canons of good taste
in print and pictures, fighting relcnt-
lessly against inaccuracy, seeking to
Eet both sides OF the story, striving
to publish the kind OF newspaper you
would like to have come into your
homes.
"The newspaper. in other words
has q public trust and without this
trust it does not survive. So there Is
= leveling process, a process Of elimi-
nation which in this country, as IN
few others, has built the character of
the American press and maintained
1t at a high level with a power which
Is an integral part OF our democracy.
Permit the freedom Of the press to
become impaired and you have de-
stroyed something vital to free Amer
icA," he said.
Admitting that some conservative
papers Occasionally fought well
worthwhile fights" Willard said the
fact remains that the largest and
most conservative papers in the
United States have been the ones
most indifferent to attacks upon the
constitutional rights OF the individual
and Of the minorities, provided that
they were unpopular minorities.'
Fulton Oursler, editor in chief of
Liberty Magazine, pleaded for con-
structive sensationalism" in popular
publications.
Strike Breaking Opposed.
The right to work" involves q moral
responsibility toward political democ-
Pacy. the institution was told yesterday
BY Rabbi Edward l.. Israel of Balti-
more
His statement that the right to
work" did not mean the right Ito
strike break" was heard and ap-
plauded BY several hundred institute
members as they sat beneath the elm
trees where Mark Hopkins, famous
Williams College president, discussed
philosophy with his students.
The right to work" attitude during
4 strike Rabbi Israel said. will simply
throw industrial democracy into
"chaos"
THE cry the right to work is SIM
ply going to halt efforts for ending
industrial peace and ultimately may
lead 10 the destruction Of democracy"
Rabbi 1srael's explanation was In
answer to a question concerning de-
msnds of the Johnstown, Pa, Citizens
Committee during the recent steel
strike In that city.
The Baltimore Jewish leaders stand
was upheld by Rev. J. w. R. Mcguire
Of st. Viator College. Kankakee, ILL.,,
and labor representative of the Chi
cAso Labor Relations Board under
National Recovery Administration
When men are justified in going
on STRIKE" Father Mcguire told his
audience, mo man has the right to
90 to work "