The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-03-25
RE-HEADLINING THE NEWS
by F. B. B.

This is campaign year for men,
bers of Congress. No voter who
wants this country to keep out of
war should forget that fact 1t means
that this is the year when what the
people says gets closest attention.
However, if what the people say is to
be expressed in the votes of the men
who are in Congress today, but will
be candidates next November, it has
got to be said very firmly indeed
For there is another factor which
those who are going to seek reelec-
ton must take into account and that
is the party organization of which
the President is the head.
"He is afraid of the President
that is the inevitable reply when in
the present fight in Congress over
foreign policy men are known to be-
lieve one thing but refuse to vote
what they believe if it would mean
a vote against the Administration.
The voters can meet this present
situation only by speaking out very
loudly and by loyalty supporting
men who stand with them Perhaps
after 1910 the gap between the
foreign policy of administrations in
power and the determination of the
people to keep out of war will be
more carefully avoided. The exist
ence of gap today is matter of
record, not of mere suspicious. The
neutrality law passed by Congress
was fiouted; discussion of the war
referendum demanded by a major
| ty of the members of the House
was prevented; and So men who had
demanded discussion were induced
| under Administration pressure to
vote against it.
The adoption of a defense policy
contrary to the neutrality law and to
the admitted will of the people to
protect the financial interests of a
few at the cost of war to all the
people, is being made by Congress
sional supporters of the Administra-
ton to force through the war mobil-
ization bill in spite of the fact that
two Congresses, because of the OPP
position of the people, have turned
thumbs down on it. The fight that
has broken out in Congress over
these measures is the opening
skirmish in what is bound to be a
long struggle for control of foreign
that is to say war-power. The more
swiftly the people marshall their
forces and the more firmly they
stand, the sooner the struggle which
will not end until the people have
won-will be ended.
A few but not all papers have car
ried the story Of the attempt by gov
eminent officials to get Boake Car
ter off the air. Mr.. Carter has de-
terminedly opposed the Administra-
TONS Far Eastern policy and has
recently written highly illuminat-
ing book on what American policy
in Asia is and why it is what it is.
1t is called why NEEDLE in the
Orient?" 1t sets forth many facts
that the government has not seen
fit to give to the people. Anyone who
reads it will understand that the
government would feel more at ease
| if Mr.. Carter were silenced.
Well substantiated reports are
current that the question of just
how he was to be silenced was a
major topic of discussion at rec
ent meeting of State Department
and War and Navy officials.
The vital question of freedom of
speech on the air is raised by this
incident. The radio does not have
the Constitutional protection that
safeguards the press-though there
can be no question that, had the
radio existed when the Bill of Rights
was adopted, it would have been
protected for exactly the same rea-
sons that freedom of the press was
guaranteed.
There is very grave danger in the
radio situation for this reason: Many
newspapers today are investing large
amounts of capital in broadcasting
stations. Licenses for the stations are
granted for periods Of six months
only. Renewals at any time might be
refused on various technical grounds
to newspaper owners who had OPP
posed government policies either on
the air, or-and this Is the catch
in their papers. When the loss of
capital involved by failure to obtain