Evening star., 1942-04-16
Price Warns Editors
War Censorship Is
Test OF Free Press
Publishers Must Justify
Presidents Confidence,
Convention Told

NEW YORK. April l6.-~Asserting
that freedom OF the press was on
trial through wartime voluntary
censorship Byron Price. Federal
censorship director told the Ma
tons newspaper editors today that
u would be an unhappy day for all
of us" If 1t was found that the Presi-
dents confidence in them had been
misplaced
L personally do not believe such
day viii come Whether it does
IS up 70 You" the former executive
news editor Of the Associated Press.
on leave for the wartime post. said
at the 10th annual meeting of the
American Society of Newspaper Edi-
tors
Briefly tracing the history of the
American press and pointing out its
survival of recurring crises such as
. wars and depressions. he asserted
that in spite OF all they have en-
dured and all that they are. the
newspapers OF the United States
may well find the year 1912 period
OF supreme trial and judgment
Meeting Shifted From Capital
Mr.. Prices remarks TO the editors
as they opened their three day
gathering, traditionally held in
Washington but moved here this
year because Of wartime conditions
in the Capital, were delivered in
friendly but firm tones
He said the results of the expert
ment to make voluntary censorship
work would not be determined III
the Office Of Censorship but by the
publishers and editors who control
the policies of individual publica-
tions'
I'VE are engaged in a desperate
war-a war not only for existence
but for that better existence for
which We have yearned during long
years of doubt and apprehension,
he declared mo industry and no
individual can expect to escape the
tribulations and the sacrifices of
such war have faith that you
rs editors, and the newspapers you
represent, will not finch or whimper
on the firing line"
Basic Truths" Listed.
Calling for a recognition of Ger
tain basic truths regarding CEN
sorship, he outlined three:
|. Editors will never like censor
ship Because you are Americans
you resent this sort Of interference.
?. Voluntary censorship will never
be an exact science 1T happens
even in normal seasons that one
newspaper will print story its
competitors will not"
3. Some Of the operations of GEN.
sorship will always appear nonsenSi-
cal TO the individual, particularly if
he is among the censored. In short,
censorship is Gods gift TO the dys-
peptie editor and the lackadaisical
columnist. Whenever all other in
spiration fails, it takes no effort to
attack censorship"
II know of no editor" he con-
tinued, who has deliberately at
tempted to sabotage the experiment,
but there are some editors who are
far too forgetflll OF their response
hilities. There are still too
many apologies, after the damage
has been done
Power of Press Cited.
IF the physical situation were
different, If we could see the whites
of the enemy's eyes, and if any one
of these editors had a pistol in his
hands and was defending his home
and his family, he would not be
forgetful, and he would not be TAX
ing chances.
Yet. every one of you actually
Is defending his home and his
family, even though some of you do
not seem to know it; and the weapon
you have at your disposal is more
powerful than any tirearm.
He conceded that any editor could
-beat the censor" but observed.
This is not however, a contest
between the Government and the
editor, 1t Is a contest where the
Government and the editor are on
the same team"
He concluded by saying that the
President of the United States has
put his confidence in your patriot
ism and your understanding. and
has turned his back on those who
argue that only compulsory censor
ship can be effective"
supreme Test" Seen.
Dwight Marvin. editor of the
Troy IN " Record. president of
the society. told the editors our
profession faces the supreme test. a"
He urged that the press be GER
tain the news we print be the I'M
vanished, unbiased truth and that
editorials and comment be unpur-
chased and unpWchaSable. "
Mayor La Guardia called on the