Evening star., 1942-08-30
Editorial Comment on IT, S. Suit Against A. P.
New York News Roosevelt Seeks

) Roosevelt Seeks to Be Co
| upon the wishes and Judgment O
its clientele and not upon politician.
and Government.
Cleveland News-The Associa tee
Press won world wide adver.
tising far more eloquent and ex-
| travagant than its own conserva.
tive nature would ever permit it tc
| write.
1t was written, of all places, in 6
| complaint made by branch of the
Federal Government, and it sale
| fatty that Associated Press news
| coverage is so good SO fair, so com
plete and SO honest that a news
paper operating without it operates
at competitive disadvantage.
Rochester. n. " Times Union
Who shall control the press of the
United States. the newspapers OF
the Government in Washington?
This might well be stated as the
real issue involved in the suit.
Over many years an association of
American newspapers has eX-
changed news facilities among
members, on a non-proflt and CO.
operative basis.
1t has gradually built up, by
sound management, wise policies
and active member participation in
important decisions, the greatest
news gathering agency in the world.
With intent to do justice to its
members as well as to increase the
effectiveness of its service it has
followed careful but progressive
policy as to the extension of service
and expansion of membership =.
The issue (of compulsory expan-
sion of membership is now in the
courts of the United States
We are confident that the first
amendment to the constitution
granting freedom of the press, will
render impossible the Governments
success in this action"
Indianapolis News-The civil ac-
ton brought by the Department of
Justice to force the Associated Press
to admit any newspaper to member
ship will be generally discredited
not only because of the f1imsy
grounds on which it is based, but
also of it's timing. The Associated
Press situation in Chicago is in
volved. A new newspaper in the
Chicago field attempted to gain an
Associated Press franchise this year.
1t failed to win the necessary votes.
Recently the Department of Justice
attempted to obtain an indictment
against the Chicago Tribune on the
ground that it had disclosed infor-
nation of value to the enemy. The
grand jury refused to vote the in
dictment. Now the Government
shifts its attack back to the Asso-
ciated Press by a civil suit in New
York.
The fact that the Government
waited AZ years under the Sherman
Act and % years under the Clayton
Act to discover evidence of monop-
oily is very impressive. Also, the
people will not fail to note that If
membership in the Associated Press
were thrown open to every journal
istic adventurer it's news reports
could be polluted to such an extent
as to destroy the public confidence
which it has earned by four decades
of honest service to the American
people and the people of many other
countries. Thus the implication of a
sinister motive in the suit and the
suspicion that its inspiration was
part of the general administration
policy of trying to regiment the
country.
Nashville (Tenn.) Banner-The
Associated Press-latest unit of the
American thus far free press to be
made the target of assault from ano
through Washington-does well te
stand its ground. Here certainly is
a right endangered, right that has
been basic and never challenged
until the current era, which has
seen the rights of private enterprise
crumble under the impact of pres
sure groups and individuals and
regulation" centralized in Govern
ment.
X X X
Denver Post-The Associated Press
is strictly a cooperative enterprise
The Government is taking the posi-
ton that its members shall have
nothing to say about who is asso-
ciated with them. Having made a
success of their business, they must
now take in as partners and share
their success with everybody who
wants to come in. That is absurd
on its face.
Under the Governments theory no
newspaper would be allowed to have