The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-05-13
Junior Club Elects
Mrs. Thomson President

The May meeting of the Junior Wom-
ans club was held Tuesday night in
the community room with very good /
attendance. President Beatrice Larson I
presided over the meeting and the club |
cleared up most of their years work |
and made plans for their last meeting, T
which is more of a social affair.
In the annual election of officers Mrs.
Harold Thomson was elected president. |
The other officers are, Mrs. E. Nj. Da-
WILSON, vice president; Mrs. Howard |
Turner, secretary, and Miss Signe Jo-
hanson, treasurer.
Miss Cecilia Liebe, club institute
chairman, reported on the recent article
in the Montana Woman on Club In
stitutes.
Plans for the next meeting were dis
cussed and a committee appointed to
take charge of it. They are Miss Mar
paret Sleizer, Miss Viona Brown, and
Miss Vesta Knoke.
The club singing for the evening was
enjoyed as usual, and was accompanied
BY Miss Hazel McCannon. Miss Viona
Brown sang L.ather's Day solo in
honor of the occasion, and the club en-
loved it very much. She was accom-
panied by Miss Inez Ratekin.
Making a successful and interesting
conclusion to a year of very informative
and worthwhile programs, Miss lnez
Ratekin, program chairman, introduced
Mr., Chas. D. Rowe, editor OF our local
paper, who spoke on conditions OF
modern journalism in the world today,
especially in regard to the freedom OF
the press.
Relating an experience of one OF our
local men, Mr.. Rowe told how this man
had the opportunity recently to talk
to German student who is touring
the United States and studying social
conditions. He believes that we are in
a social revolution just like the Con-
tinent is except that ours is bloodless.
With SO many relationships and social
changes it is a critical time and to
maintain a free press is problem.
In a recent treatise on censorship
laws of the world, Mr.. Rowe CLEANED
the information that aside from the
United States there are very few coun-
tries in the world with free press.
These are Switzerland. France, Eng
land. members of the British common
wealth, and the Scandinavian countries.
Recent legislation in France has re-
stricted the press somewhat and IN
England the government sees that what
is printed Is what it wishes. The
Scandinavians also have some restric-
. tons However. Switzerland has free
dom with no restrictions Other coun-
tries such as Germany. Italy and Rus
STA, the South American countries, etc.
!. are absolutely controlled by the gov
. eminent and even foreign correspond
/. ents who write anything against the
policy of the country they are in are
. told to leave.
When Huey Long was Louisiana's So
called dictator he had the state legis-
lature pass a law taxing hostile news
papers very heavily. However, this
was declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court. A law in Minnesota
was passed to suppress obnoxious
newspapers but newspapermen seeing
: in this threat against freedom, worked
: against it and the Supreme Court multi
. fled it.
!. The N. r. A. caused lot of discus
. sion along this line because for long
] time the government refused to put II
a Saving clause" to the effect that fres
! press would not be affected. Had thu
papers signed the agreement and latel
e had been licensed or restricted, they
!. would have been disbarred from ap-
Z pearing in court because they had beer
a party to beneficial agreement.
G There is great deal of criticism
about advertisers debating the papers
$ policy and the editors giving out col
: ored news but MIR. Rowe gave severa
Q examples Of martyrdom in the news
y paper world for the cause of clean ant
lust government In the modern pa
Z pers the most highly trained and edu
u Gated men are hired to write editorial
and articles of Importance. And" con
:, Guided MIR. Rowe, 'the profession feel
u proud that although there are som
> undesirables as there are in every pro
fession, the fight is going on towar
: clean government, social justice an
y freedom"
For the social hour the Club were in
q vited to the Ratekin home. In homo
II of Advisor Mrs Joughin's birthday an
Mrs. Walter Katarzy's wedding, tw
e specially decorated cakes had been pre-
n pared and were cut by these honore
&c guests. Refreshments were served b
Mrs. VIM. Erickson, Miss Grace Da,
q Mrs. Jack Swarens, Miss Louise Carl
son and Miss Inez Ratekin.
! The members enjoyed visiting an
Y. singing until late hour and declare
q it a pleasant evening.