Evening star., 1940-04-20
1hird-Term Debaters
Cheered and HeckIed
AT Editors Banquet
Glenn Fronk, Pepper,
WiIIkie and Ickes
Talk of Record

Four of the country's ablest
political orators, two New Dealer!
and two Republicans, debated thu
third-term issue last night in 9
spirited of -the-record" finale fol
the convention of the American So.
ciety of Newspaper Editors.
In the words of the referee, Will
liam Allen White, veteran Kansa.
editor, the speakers "let tier hail
down, kicked of their shoes ant
went to it." What they said, how
ever, was not for publication.
The lead-o1 man was DR.. Glenn
Frank, chairman Of the Republican
Policy Committee, whose resonant
voice. commanding personality and
intellectual power have placed him
high in his party's councils.
Following DR.. Frank at the edi.
tors annual dinner in the Willard
Hotel was Senator Pepper Of Flor
ida, consistent New Dealer and one
of the stanchest supporters Of 9
third term for President Roosevelt
Willkie Gives Views.
The final speaker on the Repub-
lcan side was Wendell Willkie, the
public utilities executive mentioned
as dark horse" material for the
presidential nomination, who was
described by Mr.. White last night
as the "Hoosier hurricane"
The summing up fell to the lot OF
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
noted in many quarters as sharp
shooter whose volleys have punish
ing effect.
Some 100 editors and publishers
assembled from all parts of the
United States, appeared to enjoy
the free debate hugely. They
cheered. applauded and interposed
few heckling comments of their
own.
Following the formal debate was
q round-table, free-for-all led by
four members OF the association
Richard Finnigan Of the Chicago
Times, Walter Harrison of the Okla
homa Times, Oklahoma City: Man.
chester Boldly of the Los Angeles
Illustrated News and Wilbur Forrest
Of the New York Herald Tribune.
Banquet Tickets at Premium.
The editors, their wives and guests
filled the ballroom on the 10th floor
at the Willard to capacity. Tickets
for the dinner were at premium.
Many members who could not at
tend the two-day session few to
Washington for the banquet.
Most of the editors planned to
leave for New York today to attend
next weeks convention of the Amer
lean Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation and the Associated Press.
Soon after the editors were warm
ed late yesterday that contempt
citations against two newspapers
which criticized editorially court
opinions were possibly preliminary
to concerted Nationwide cam
paign against freedom of the press" "
the editors learned of a new con-
tempt citation.
They adopted a resolution: Hold
Ing that free expression of opinion
Is a right no less fundamental than
the free circulation of knowledge,
we urge the exercise of utmost
vigilance against the recently ex-
hibited tendency of some judges
to extend the conception of con-
tempt of court into an unwarranted
assault upon the bill of rights-an
assault which, If persisted in, will
soon expose any citizen to arrest
and imprisonment who ventures
publicly to criticize or even COM
ment upon current judicial de-
cisions, however debatable they
may be-"
Editorial Writer Fined.
The new contempt citation was
Issued late yesterday against E. B.
Chapman, editorial writer of the
Topeka State Journal, who was
fined $25 for failure to answer
questions considered important"
about bootlegging in the Kansas
capital. Mr.. Chapman said in an
editorial that liquor sales and
gambling continued despite arrests.
He said that the information was
IN the hands of authoritative per-
sons and that he could not disclose
his sources.
A few hours before the third
contempt case became known. Ralph
Coghlan, editor of the editorial page
OF the st. Louis Post-Dispatch, de-
tailed the steps leading to his SEN
tence OF 20 days in Jail and fine
OF 5000 for criticizing dismissal Of
extortion charges against a State
Representative. Writers of the Los
Angeles Times had been fined for
similar criticisms.
Cognizant of the difficulties under
which foreign correspondents are
working, the society adopted another
resolution which declared:
I'VE salute with pride and admira-
ton the crop of American CORE
spondents abroad who in war and
disaster, with the handicap of faulty
communications in an atmosphere
too often of hostility and suspicion.
under censorship and official pres
sure, amid personal hardship and
dangers. in an isolation frequently
demanding unusual resources of
resolution and initiative, are making
available to American people in
honestly edited newspapers uncon-
trolled by propaganda, the best in
formation on world affairs available
to any people anywhere.
Hear of Difficulties in Finland.
The editors earlier had heard of
the hardships and difficulties en-
countered during the Finnish in
vasion by Norman B. Deuel.. United
Press correspondent.
J. r. Virgins, managing editor of
the st. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer
Press, declared in a speech on ad-
ministrative problems of editors that