The Daily Alaska empire., 1942-09-14

Now this antitrust lawsuit against the Asso ciated Press
 To us it is another evidence of President Roose- velts ambition to become commander in chief of the American press well as Commander in Chief of the army and navy.
 In their anger the in Washington have not hestated to do very serious injury to the United Press and the International News Service both of which have long records of usefulness They are written down negligible which they not. Ger tany if the governments allegations true these competing services cannot long survive if any one now using them may obtain Associated Press service for the asking. If the government is correct in its contentious and if it should succeed in it's suit the result of this attack alleged monopoly would be the destruction of competition in the distribution of news and complete monopoly for the AP.
 In that sense, this suit may be regarded a threat to the freedom of the press In another and more important sense, the threat is the gravest which has arisen since the First Amendment was adopted. Here we see the full force of government brought to bear with view to demonstrating to all editors and all publishers that they must do what Washington tells them to door else
 Morgantown (W va) Dominion News - Forcing we members of the Associated Press to open our rolls to any peson or organization desiring to be- come affiliated with is just logical and unfair as forcing John Smith to share with Bill Jones house John Smith built and paid for
 Los Angeles Times-The action filed yesterday in
 the Federal Courts of New York seeks to enjoin the worlds greatest gathering and news -dstribut- ing organization from further practices of the meth ods which have gained it that proud eminence. In it. the government sets out effect, that the A. P is so much better than it's competitors in the curacy impartality, thoroughness and speed with which it keeps the public abreast of the worlds hap penlngs that the system which has created so sup erior service ought to be discontinued
 Kansas City Star-The fact that the cooperative organization has built a service which the govern ment says "has long been synonymous with the highest standards of accurate, nonpartisan and prehensive news reporting the members believe justifies the policy they have followed, so far as broad grounds of public welfare concerned As to it's legality they rely the fact that this was not challenged for 40 years and that it had the approval of the Department of Justice until the Chicago Sun episodes intervened
 Tulsa World-Complants by the United States Government in its suit set out the very thing which make the association strong The true strength of the A. P. is not in the organization itself but in the services rendered It has stood the test of time and 1t will withstand the eXigences of politics This lawsuit is an attack upon the rights of any indi- vidual newspaper that relies upon the wishes and
 judgment of it's clientele and not upon politicians and government.
 Huntington Herald Dspatch-This is another dis turbng manifestation of the Administrations refusal to turn its complete attention to the only thing that really matters now, and until the threat of Hitlerism is destroyed-the winning of the war The Governments complaint, significantly observes that the Associated Press ranks in the forefront in public reputation and esteem" The newspaper read CTS of this nation and of the world have known this for many years They prefer to keep it so