Evening star., 1941-04-21
u. 5. Has No Room
For 'CompIacency,'
Jesse Jones Says
Defense Activity Better
Than Good He Asserts
In Address to A.P.
b the Associated Press.

In Address to A.P.
b the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 21.-Secretary
of Commerce Jones declared today
that although defense activity Ii
better than good" there is nc
room for American "complacency.'
There is no place for indiffer-
ence," Mr.. Jones said in a speech
at the annual luncheon of the Asso'
ciated Press at the Hotel waldorf
Astoria.
The Secretary coupled o report
of progress in defense over the past
year with two warnings:
"If the aggressor nations are sue
cessful. our generation is apt to
see little Of tranquility.
IF we are to get ready to defend
ourselves, let's be sure that we do
q good job Of It,"
Dwelling momentarily on "our
lack of preparedness" q year ago,
he conceded 1t Is mot easy for q
peace loving people like ours to
change overnight from purely peace
time pursuits to complete all-out
effort at arming, even for defense"
Backs Freedom Of Press.
Fortunately" he said at another
point, most publishers and editors
OF American newspapers can be de-
pended upon for 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 freedom of the press, Mr..
Jones said, I'VE will never abandon
the high ideal that the press should
be free to seek out and to print the
news and the truth, unless tempo
rarily certain items having a mill
tary bearing might better 60 un-
published"
"If there ever should be censorship
Of the American press, 1t will be
brought on by those short-sighted
few who blindly and stubbornly re-
fuse TO recognize the responsibility
that inevitably goes with freedom,
Mr.. Jones said. But as Govern
ment official, I am glad to be able
to say that have never seen any
indication that any one In Govern
ment wanted to do any censorins,
unless 1t be information which
might aid those who are not Amer
ica's friends"
On defense progress he said more
than $4,000 separate prime contracts
and probably more than 100000 sub
contracts had been let for manu-
facture OF everything from cor
porals' chevrons to bombers and
battleships.
These contracts, he explained,
called for an expenditure OF more
than s17,50o, ,0o0, 900.
He reported that 7s4 new defense
plants costing more than $780,
100000 had been built or were
building by the War and Navy
Departments and that the Recon-
struction Finance Corp. was build
ing or financing more than 100
others at . cost Of $650.o0o, 900. -,
If Americans wish to preserve
their accustomed way Of life, he as
serted, I'VE must lay gun on gun
until every threat to our security
has been met"
Mr.. Jones address was q high
light Of the 41st annual one-day
meeting of the Associated Press,
attended by the cooperative news
gathering agency's members from
many parts Of the country.
A. n. r. A. Meets Tomorrow.
approximately 600 publishers. edi-
tors and business managers Of news
papers throughout the United States
and Canada are in New York for
the meeting and for the annual con-
vention of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association, starting to-
morrow.
Six directors of the Associated
Press will be elected today to three
year terms. Five of the six whose
terms are expiring have been noni-
mated to succeed themselves, and
seven additional candidates have
been named by the Nominating
Committee, led by ]. S. Parks of the
Fort Smith (Ark) Times-Record.
Directors whose terms are expir-
ing are Frank 3. Noyes, Washington
Star, former president Of the Asso-
ciated Press: Robert Mclean, pub
Usher of the Philadelphia Bulletin
and president OF the A. P; Paul Pat
terson. Baltimore Sun; Harry ].
Grant, Milwaukee Journal; z. II.
Butler, Buffalo News, and Josh L.
Horne, Rocky Mount IN. c. Tele-
gram. Mr.. Grant is not a candidate
for reelection.
The seven additional nominees
are George r. Booth, Worcester
Mass) Telegram; Col. j. H. Long,
Huntington (W. Va) Advertiser;
James e. Chappell, Birmingham
(Ala) Age-Herald; o. S. Warden,
Great Falls Mont) Tribune; Henry
H. Conland, Hartford Conn }
Courant; william r. Mathews,
Tucson (Ariz.) Star, and W. r.
Dewart, New York Sun.
Mr.. Dewsrt has asked that his
name be withdrawn due to In
ability TO serve.
Defense Chief Topic.
Tomorrow's convention Of the
A. N. P. A. will center about .
chief topic Of national defense as
1t relates to newspaper publishing.
Already publishers have considered
the opportunity for service by news
papers in the national emergency,
and, at a recent New York meeting,
representatives of national, regional
and State associations issued this
three-fold statement:
l. That the newspapers recognize
their primary obligation to further
national defense in every possible
manner.
2. That the newspapers also rec
ognize their essential duty to furnish
complete and accurate information
compatible with military necessities.
3.That the newspapers In the
performance of these obligations
bespeak the cordial consideration,