Evening star., 1943-04-19

much of the important news Of the
Nation and foreign nations, they
had the power to determine what
news and how much Of it would
reach the citizens of this country.
They demanded continuance Of that
control and, in addition, of the
right to charge the newspapers of
the country what they saw fit, and
the newspapers could take it or
leave it.
The Western Associated Press de-
cided not to take it.
The contest with the intrenched
commercial group was stormy, but
the newspapers emerged victorious.
Their new association had de-
ficiencies in its charter and was
later dissolved and the present as
sociation came into being. -
They set up an association of
which the owners were the news
papers. They placed its governance
in the hands Of a board of their
number. They decided it should be
free from commercials interest and
they made 1t mutual non-prof1t
cooperative association. They de-
cided the, news reported should be
authentic, accurate and free from
partisan bias, and to carry out that
edict they appointed a general man
ager, who should not be subject
to any one of them but whose re-
sponsibility would be to the board
as a whole.
Now, this system may not be per-
feet. Indeed, there have been some
notifications and changes in detail,
and there may be more from time to
time, but 1t comes closer to meeting
the ideals of self-governing people
than any other system yet evolved
in the news collection field. If we,
the citizens of a free country, are
to govern ourselves, it is essential
that decisions be based on accurate
and objective news. Within the
limits of human frailty, it is such
news the Associated Press supplies.
Restrictions Are Fought.
1t is not alone important that
newspapers be free. The distin-
guished head of the school of
journalism of the University of Illi-
nois is authority for the statement
IN the two decades from 1920 to
1910 more governmental restrictions
OF speech and of the press have been
imposed and declared unconstitu-
tional by the courts than in all the
previous years of our history as a
nation.
1t is equally important that the
organizations which supply news to
newspapers be independent of COM
mercial control, political control and
even of the Government itself.
If you ask for examples beyond
our own experience, you have only
to observe what has occurred
throughout the world. In the great,
liberty loving countries of the world
you have such organizations as the
Canadian Press, whose president and
general manager, Mr.. Ford and Mr..
Mcneil, we have the pleasure of
having with us today, and the Aus
tralian Associated Press, both de-
veloped along the lines of the Asso-
clated Press as mutual profit
co-operatives.
In the British Empire, and in
fact operating as we do throughout
the world, you have our allied asso-
citation of Reuters, a director of
which, Mr. Haley, we take pleasure
N having as our guest today as the
representative of newspaper
owned, non-profit agency, a status
to which it came after a long his
tory of private ownership. We hope
we were in some slight measure an
inspiration to them in their effort
to attain this status. $5s.s..s...
England has been the, soil ION
which. was fought the early battle
for liberty to speak and liberty to
print In accordance with confidence.
Toast to Mr.. Noyes. 's'' '-
Now, men may lay down prin-
ciples, but those principles must also
be made effective by men. We,
therefore, pay. our tribute to Victor
Lawson, Melville Stone and to Frank
B. Noyes and to all those others
whose strength Of purpose brought
the present Associated Press into
being.
But they did more-they gave of
their time and their energy. It is a
pleasure that we still have, giving of
himself in unstinted measure, one
whose dynamic convictions, whose
breadth Of judgment and whose un-
selfishness of purpose breathed life
into the form.
I have said that the 50th anni-
versary of the first National Associ-
ated Press fell sometime between
this meeting and the one next year.
We also approach the anniversary
of Mr.. Noyes' first so years of serv-
ice to the Associated Press, and in
view of the fact that by the next
annual meeting he will be we'll into
his second so years, I take this oc-
casion to ask you to depart from our
usual custom and rise and drink his
health.
To Frank B. Noyes.
Tribute to Mr.. Cooper.
We have another who has dedi-
Gated his life to the Associated
Press. Mr.. Noyes has spoken of the
rare genius and ability of the man
who is the operating head of the
Associated Press and who, by prac-
ticing what he preaches-as well as
preaching what he practices-gives
reality to an ideal.
Kent Cooper needs no introduc-
tion to this gathering, but he has
so seldom consented to address the
Associated Press luncheon that
when he does so we cannot neglect
the opportunity to say some of the
things about him We have stored
up in the meantime.
That we admire him and his
ability and cherish both is only a
part of the story. He is the in
spiration, guide, counselor and
friend and the driving force behind
those very remarkable men flung
across the seven seas whose prod
uct, blended together under his
direction, is the news report of the
Associated Press. They are the