The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-02

Washington, June 2-Washington newspaper correspondent have act ed to repudiate those of their num- Der who have been selling so-called "confidenial information, not for publication"
 This action has been taken for self protection. It is aimed at columnists and other writers who supply to editors and others, pri- vate, unpublished gossip or tip ser vices, purporting to give the real low-down on Washington officials an dtheir activities.
 A large gob of sensational mis- information has been spread around the country in this man.
 ned, and it was lurid tale about Ian imaginary incident concerning -the Presidents health which final Fly caused both the White House Correspondents Association and
 the National Press Club to take
 formad notice.
 The Correspondents Association executive committee, authorized by the White House to pass on eligibil- ity of those seeking to attend Presi- | dent Roosevelt's press conferences, has voted to require all applicants for membership to certify that they are not engaged for profit, directly or Indirectly, in dissemination of confidential information. It also has promulgated the rule that: Persons representing news agencies of any description engaged in the dissem- Iination of so-called confidential in formation for profit, direct or in- direct, shall not be entitled to mem Ebership in the White House Corre- lspondentS' association.
 Sensational Story Out
 Meanwhile, the Press Clubs board Iof governors has summoned mem- lber to show cause why he should not be expelled for the undercover dis Isemination of yarn, allegedly false land yet so sensational that 1t would Icommand streamer headlines all lover the nation if it were proved true.
 Correspondents who write only news which they expect to be
 published openly have been an- noyed for long time by the fact that tipsters were peddling fabri-
 cations which often made it ap- pear that the correspondents were
 asleep, or else were suppressing facts of national importance. Re- cent revelations have had the newsmen debating heatedly among
 themselves as to the best way of meeting the situation. Although some have felt that it was not
 their job to protect the President and others from scurrilOus gos- sip, others insist that the menace
 of press censorship will be in-
 volved if they make no effort to
 separate legitimate news writers
 and commentators from the ire sponsible tipsters. The latter have Ibcen able to write without fear
 of libel suits or even of public
 denial
 None-journalistic tip sheets from Washington began to thrive early ln the New Deal by pandering to khe more violent critics of RooSe- kelt and the New Deal. Wild yarns kbout Roosevelt's mental and yhy- Iical condition, scandals in his fam : |hy, and immoral habits or crooked hess among other New Dealers were lpread about rather freely to gull ble business men and others who bald their tip sheet subscriptions in Inc belief they were getting the real Inside dope.
 one result was to paint by im- blication the picture of a corps of Washington correspondents subser- hent to the White House and un- killing or afraid to write the news.
 one gent. at last reports, was still haking a comfortable living with Eeekly letters which purported to ell in detail the individual con- kections of nearly every top New
 -, with the Communist Inter- sas
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