Evening star., 1942-08-29
Marshall Field Denies Aim Is to Restrict
Associated Press in News Catherine
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Aug. 29-Tert OF a
statement yesterday By Marshall
Field, founder and oiUner of the
Chicago Sun, regarding the Gop-
ernment's suit against the Asso-
cidted Press.
The United States Government
today brought suit against the As
sociated Press under the antitrust
laws, charging that it is a monop-
oily and an unlawful combination in
restraint of trade. The action was
brought following a complaint filed
with the Department of Justice by
the Chicago Sun, as result of the
refusal of the Associated Press to
put the Sun In a position to receive
its news services.
If this move is successful, it will
prove to be one of the most i'm
portant strokes for freedom of the
press in the history of American
journalism.
All newspapers now being pub
llshed, and all that may be launched
in the future. will have access to the
news gathering facilities of the
country.
Dissolution Not Objective.
In filing its complaint, the Sun
appealed to the Government, as any
citizen may, for that equal protec-
ton of the laws guaranteed by the
Constitution. The Government has
made its own investigation, and
started its proceedings as result of
It's own conclusion that the Sher-
man Act had been violated.
The purpose of the Government
IN this case is not to dissolve the
Associated Press, nor to restrict or
lnJure 1t in any way in its free and
useful functioning.
The purpose is to compel the As
soclated Press to eliminate the mo-
nopolistic features of its structure.
and become in fact what it is in
name. cooperative organization
OF American newspapers for gath
ering and distributing news. Just as
a railroad Is a common carrier of
goods, forbidden to discriminate be-
tween persons of places. SO press as.
soclatlons would become common
carriers Of news. open on equal
terms to all who desire to purchase
the service or share in the cost of
a cooperative undertaking.
IL this suit is won by the Govern
ment, the least of its benefits will
be the furnishing of Associated Press
news to the Chicago Sun on the
same basis as other newspapers re-
ceive 1t. With news treated as a
public utility, open to all alike. it
VIII once more be possible. as it was
IN the 18th century, for men of mod
crate capital to embark upon the
publication of newspapers without
being choked to death at the outset
by a monopolistic discrimination.
Sun Not Choked to Death.
the Chicago Sun is not being
choked to death because it is able.
by heavy expenditure. to supple
ment available news services with its
own news organization, and because
international conditions make a few
cities the news centers of the world
Under less favorable circumstances,
new publications are killed before
they are born, or strangled in in
fancy.
That IS one OF the reasons whv
American cities are moving steadily
toward a one-paper status. That is
why newspapers bought up and sup
pressed by competitors, for the pur-
pose OF creating monopoly, are
seldom replaced Associated Press
monopoly is fundamental cause of
the drift toward total MONOPOLY in
American Journalism. This monop-
oily, which is threat to the Nations s
future, Is fostered by specific pro-
visions Of the Associated Press BY
laws, which, the Government claims,
violate the laws of the United States.
The Government, in bringing this
antitrust suit, is goring many
fat journalistic OK. There
will be bellowings to high heav-
en- not only in Chicago, but all
over the country. An action whose
only purpose and effect can be to
make the press free-to free it from
monopoly-will be described as an
attack upon that same freedom
Those who are always crying free
dom OF the press" and never practic-
Ing 1t will make the welkin ring
their denunciations of the Govern
ment.
Enormous Undertaking.
Since there will be an attempt by
some OF the beneficiaries of monop-
oily to becloud the issue and confuse
the public, a clear statement should
be made Of the way news is gathered
and the way the Associated Press
bylaws restrict its distribution.
News gathering is such an enor-
nous undertaking that no individual