Evening star., 1939-04-24
A. P.
Continued From First Page.)

| give 1t fearless prOtectlon ana care
full Interpretation.
Court Respect Held on Decline.
1T is a bitter but undeniable fact
that our courts do not enjoy the
unquestioned respect that they had
a generation ago.
| Il can remember when first, as
an assistant United States attorney,
l stepped into a Federal courtroom.
1t was to me a hallowed place
almost cathedral in its dignity
! and to most Americans it was
hallowed place. Today that feeling
of reverence has given way in some
| quarters to an attitude of cynicism
and disrespect."
The underlying trouble, said Muir
ply. springs from inefficient admin
istration and a tendency to let poll
tics creep in.
News Competition Watched.
Mr.. Mclean told members of the
organization at their thirty-ninth
annual meeting today that the
Board of Directors had watched
with some concern the increasing
funds available to competing news
services as a result of the demand
for news for broadcasting
The board, he added. wished to di-
rect again the attention of the
members, representing l,400 news
papers across the country, to the
importance Of protecting the A. P
from any encroachment of its pre-
eminence."
On behalf of the board, Mr. Nc
Lean continued, he suggested that
all members who had not done 80
read the annual report of Kent
Cooper, general manager, because
of the evidence it gives Of the ac-
tivities of a splendid staff under
the management Of Mr.. Cooper"
The cost of operations in 1898,
he said increased by about $685.
600, bringing costs to a total Of
about $11,O000OO.
Mr.. Mclean. who is president of
the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
reminded the editors that "it has
been the custom for many years
at these annual luncheons to have
one toast and one only
May I ask you to rise and drink
the health of the President of the
United States" he said.
Frank B. Noyes Honored.
"On this occasion a year ago" he
said, after the toast, "Mr. Frank B.
Noyes announced that after 80 years
as president of the Associated Press
he would not accept reelection to
that office. This is the fortieth an
nual gathering of the present or
ganization. 1t is, in fact. the forty
seventh year of participation by
Mr.. Noyes in the activities of this
| association and its predecessor asso-
citation.
II cannot let this occasion pass
without referring to the devotion
demonstrated by all those years of
service on his part to the principle
OF cooperative neWsgathering and
the ideal of a mutual activity in
the assembling, editing and prepa-
ration of material which we as
neWspapermen publish in our news
papers and for which We stand re-
sponsible before the vast throng of
fellow citizens who are our readers.
However, our obligation is not to
him alone, but also to all that
group who in the late years of the
last century gave unsparingly of
their time, money and ability to the
formation of a great national CO.
operative news association.
You. Mr.. Noyes, are the repre-
sentative with us today of that
group-Victor F.. Lawson, Melville
Stone and all those Others"
Election of Six Directors.
The business agenda included the
selection of six directors. Directors
whose terms are expiring and who
nave been renominated are w. H.
| CoWles of the Spokane (Wash.)
Spokesman-RevieW, E. Lansing Raw
OF the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Robert R. Mccormick of the Chi
cago Tribune, George B. Longan Of
the Kansas City Star. L. K. Nichol-
son OF the New Orleans Times
plcayune and Stuart H. Perry of
the Adrian MichD Telegram.
! Reelection of at least five of
tnese was assured when five of six