Evening star., 1941-04-21
BY the Associated Press.


NEW YORK, April 2f.-The
tert OF the address OF Jesi:s H.
Jones, Secretary OF Commerce
and Federal loan administrator,
at the annual luncheon OF the
Associated Press today tollotDs:
AS much as I appreciate the in
vitation to address the Associated
Press, I am sure Mr.. Mclean and
my other friends among your direc-
tors did not invite me to speak
solely as a fellow publisher. Pos
sibly your invitation came because
today is Texas birthday, the 105th
anniversary of the battle of San
Jacinto, where Sam Houston won
independence for Texas.
Whatever the reason, I am hon.
ored by the invitation. 1t Is .
privilege to meet you and discuss
informally some OF our current
problems.
Publishers everywhere in America
are probably asking themselves two
fundamental questions: First, like
all patriotic citizens, they want to
know about the defense program
and how well 1t is getting along.
Second, they want some one to essay
the role of prophet and give them
q glimpse into the future after the
war. They would like answers to
many perplezing questions. We all
would. Some are concerned about
the freedom of the press. When
they contemplate. the disasters
which have befallen the press in
some other countries, the more pes
Simistic are afraid that the same
fate might be in store for them here.
have no such fear.
Opportunity for Service.
I am not 50 naive as to assume
that I can come before you and
speak with authority as publisher.
I have not given q great deal Of
time to the Houston Chronicle,
although I would regard 1t q high
privilege to be primarily . publisher
and an editor. 1t Is q role worthy of
the ambitions of any one. 1t affords
an oportunity to be of service to
ones community, and to ones
country.
That this privilege Is sometimes
misused, or carelessly and thought
lessly exercised, does not warrant
condemning the entire press. For
tunately, most publishers and edi-
tors Of American newspapers can be
depended upon for o high order Of
integrity and patriotism. For
tunately, in America the people
have the services of such agencies
as the Associated Press, which strives
to search out the news and report
1t impartially and completely.
As for the freedom of the press,
in my view, and as President Roose-
welt told the newspaper editors last
week, we will never abandon the
high ideal that the press should
be free to seek out and to print
the news and the truth, unless
temporarily certain items having q
military bearing might better 60
unpublished.
Presentation Of News Praised.
Despite any OF our shortcomings,
1t Is safe to say that In no other
part of the world is so much in
formation 50 well presented. I
might add, parenthetically, that
over the years the Associated Press
has made great contribution
toward this achievement.
Here In the United States the
press has reached its greatest height.
To realize that one need only COM
pare American newspapers with
those OF any other country. In
their news coverage, in the wide
variety Of 1t, In the character Of
its presentation, the newspapers OF
this country are unequaled. The
very freedom of our press and the
place 1t occupies In our lives gives
1t vast power.
But we should not forget that
with that power goes responsibility.
The greater the freedom the greater
the necessity that 1t always be ex-
ercised wisely and In the public
interest.
1t is by recognition of that re-