Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-28
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

By WESTBROOk PEGLER
Now that every one else has
said a little say about President
Roosevelt's recent Gliding of the
newspaper publishers for print
ing military information re-
ceived from statesmen who may
have violated a seal of conf
dence. I will neatly dispose of
the matter as follows:
Newspaper publishers are not
censors but editors. and with the
exception of a few brash sdven-
turers, of dubious connections
and motives, there is no more
patriotic group of men in the
country, nor any group with a
stronger motive for preserving
the American nation as repub-
lie, under capitalism, Which is
the only system that tolerates
and affords a living for a free
press.
The publishers are. as a group.
no less wise or honest than the
members of the two professions
which President Roosevelt him.
self has adorned. namely, the
law and politics.
DRESIDENT ROO S EVELT
has consistently indicated
hostility to the American kind
of press. while utilizing it for
his political purposes, and the
persistency of his campaign to
discredit this kind of press
naturally prompts consideration
of the alternative.
We all know in our business
that in numbers the American
daily press is declining as con-
sequence of rising costs. includ-
ing taxes. and the loss of adj
vertising revenue TO the radio.
The radio is subject to strict
government control and may be
effectively pressed to discourse
propaganda platters for the adj
ministration. but has no editorial
character and never. of its own
initiative. would dare expose
political activities.
EDITORIALLY. radio in for
IL eign lands has been used to
ehslave people, whereas even the
worst enemies of the American
press unwittingly give the pub
fishers credit for great moral
and financial courage when they
denounce il for opposing the
Roosevelt administration.
For certainly. If the press were
servile. the publishers would
have tried 10 placate the New
Deal. knowing its great power
and vindictiveness, instead of an
tagonizing it.
At this moment, too. some
publishers. right or wrong. are
taking a great risk in opposing
the dictatorial bill. whose best
friends admit that il is a dc
tatorship bill. because they are
being denounced as appeasers
and an American Cliveden set,
and this is dangerous propa-
ganda against them in COM
nunitieS where the adminlstra-
ton is strong.
TiIE only alternative to the
l. free American press Is the
subsidized press. which never IS
honest. as may be observed at
glance in The radical papers that
live on secret contributions from
mysterious sources. or the Hitler
Stain Mussolini-Franco kind OF
press. which suppreSses all con-
trary opinion and all news un-
favorable to the regime.
There is no other alternative
to the American kind of press
which President Roosevelt so
heartily dislikes.
So in advocating and defend
ing, as / do, the American kind
of press, | am mindful of not
only my job and the interests of
the owner but of the freedom
which must and always does
vanish when conditions arise
which finally make it impossible
for the press TO continue as a
private enterprise.
The day the privately owned
press disappears yo'i will goose
step and pretend. at least. TO
like it or vanish into a concen-
/ tration camp.