Evening star., 1943-04-19

means LQdC tlle SOVeTIlQcIlt NEWS
story can be told in only one way,
the governments way, with the re-
sulting perversion of the truth when
necessary to serve the government
purpose.
Availability Of news at the
source, with the resulting competi-
ton in getting 1t and preparing 1t
for publication UNDERSTANDABLE, will
lead to honesty in news because
with. the source open to all, the liar
will not expect to gain credence for
his tainted news. Thus the truth
will prevail. And 1t is truth that
makes men free.
"The American press should
awaken to this opportunity; it must
attain unity of purpose and it must
establish leadership it must
drop it's passive role. Its interest
must be intensively active And as
for the press of this country, the
strongest newspaper force ever de-
veloped in any nation must give to
all the world the principles of
idealism"
Mclean Gives Toast.
President Robert Mclean of the
Philadelphia Bulletin and The As
sociated Press, who presided at both
the business session and luncheon,
departed from a long custom of
drinking one toast-always to the
President of the United States-to
give another, to the health of Frank
Noyes. .... ...-..
In introducing Mr.. Noyes, Mr.. Nc
Lean reviewed the history of the
trials and tribulations Of news gath
ering before the modern Associated
Press came into being almost half
century ago, and paid tribute to Mr..
Noyes as one. OF those whose
strength of purpose brought the
present Associated Press into being"
Mr.. Noyes, responding, said that
in establishing the present organi-
zation mutually owned by the news
papers and operated by them, the
founders in no sense sought a
monopoly" and continued:
"We we're then a very small ma
VI l1lC Od0y llC"OPdPSio VI
the country and I think even at
this time less than a majority of
American newspapers depend exclu-
sively on the Associated Press for
their general news service.
"The very nature of our structure
prevented the establishment of a
monopoly.
I'VE were opposed to the creation
of a monopoly as a menace to ma
tional interest and especially as
newspapermen did we wish for an
alert opposition to keep our own
staff on its toes.
"The result of this policy is evil
dent today. Two privately owned
news gathering agencies are operat-
ing in competition with us, efficient
ly and, understand. profitably. My
one regret is that they do not mu-
tualize themselves and remove the
possibility of their being used to
advance the individual political or
other opinions that may be held by
their owners"
Mr.. Haley described in detail to
the membership at the business ses-
sion how the press of Great Britain
had co-operated extensively and
gone farther than ever before to
keep operating under wartime con-
ditions and still serve their sub
scribers.
"Since this war began Mr..
Haley said, "the British newspaper
industry has sought to be states
manlike. 1t has had the reward
of seeing public interest in news
papers fully maintained. Radio has
proved no substitute for the printed
word.
"And the fact that no matter
what Hitler or Goering might drop
on any town or city or capital the
newspapers of that place have con-
tinued to come out has had a
great moral effect. How it has
been done is one of the epic stories
of the war. Some day 1t will be
written"
Noted Publishers Present.
Among those attending the busi-
ness session were: Commerce Secre-
tary Jones, president and publisher
of the Houston CTex0 Chronicle;
Navy Secretary Knox, president and
publisher of the Chicago Daily News,
and Senator Capper, Republican, of
Kansas, president and publisher of
the Topeka Daily Capital.
Col. Oveta Culp Hobby, head of
the WAACS, recently associated
with the Houston (Tex) Post, and
Brig. Gen. Howell, president and
publisher of the Atlanta (Ga) Con-
stitution, now adjutant general of
Georgia, were presented to the gath
ering by President Mclean.
j. r. harrington, president of the
Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Hilo
Tribune Herald, was introduced as
the one who had travelled the far
thest to attend the meeting.
Marvin H. Creager, Milwaukee
(Wis) Journal, requested that due to
i'll health his name be withdrawn as
a nominee for the Board Of Direc-
tors. No substitute nomination was
made.
Terming 1912 as q year Of "extraor-
dinary success" despite difficulties
Of all kinds, the Board Of Directors,
IN behalf Of the news co-operative's
membership, restated sits con-
fidefce that the entire stAh Of the
Associated Press viii continue to