The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-04-15

Washington, April 10.
! The Administration disclaimers. re-
Gently made through the unctuous Mr..
! Elmer Davis, head of the Owl, Of
any idea of restricting the press in
covering the forthcoming United Ma
/ tons food conference, were on the
same level as the disclaimers OF any
idea Of making Mayor LaGuardia Il
brigadier general-and just as sin
cerc.
In each case the backtracNing of
the Administration was due to the
strength and character of the oppo-
sition. In the matter of the Mayor,
several Senators had made it clear
that there would be a determined OPP
| position to his confirmation and that
lot Of embarrassing questions would
be asked. In the case Of the news
papers, while they had no option to
compliance with what they understood
/ to be the White House wish, it was
made clear that they would do so
reverberations in Congress and the
country. The result has been a change
I in the White House attitude. Not only
| have the food conference restrictions
been repudiated as having never been
contemplated but on his next tour, if
any, at least some independent CORES
pondents will accompany the Presi-
dent.
Accepting as true Nh Davis state
ment that there never was any idea of
having the OWL take over the press
! function of reporting the conference,
it seems that the pretty little idea
just was to discourage the press from
attending it by holding it in some
small, out-ofthe-way place, which
when filled with delegates could ac-
commodate only few newspapermen.
Thus, the press attendance would be
limited to the press association repre-
sentatives. 1t is fair to say that this
was not Mr. Davis idea. 1t was Mr..
/ Roosevelt's own and he relinquished
it with great reluctance. 1t is true it
never got beyond tentative sugges-
ton from official sources.
In the case of last years tour there
was reason connected with the pro-
lection of the President, and the
press, though mconvinced, acquiesced
in the restrictions without protest.
! IN the food conference case there is no
question involved either Of the safety
Of the President or the preservation
of military secrets. What the newspa-
/ pers saw in that "semi- jocular"
/ Roosevelt press conference comment
and the subsequent suggestions" that
came from the owl and White House
| Secretary Early was a Presidential
move toward curbing independent re-
porting Of non-military and non-polit-
ical happenings.
There was, first, the conviction that
if the President should be successful
in having the press submit to his
suggestion" precedent would be
established by which the same curb
could be applied to all subsequent con-
ferences a system created by which
the press, the radio and the public
regularly would depend for informa-
ton upon what Government bureau
crat considered what they should
have. Mr.. Roosevelt's comments con-
corning the food conference-and on
numerous other occaSiOnS-leave no
room for doubt that that is exactly
what he would like to arrange. His
notion of an ideal newspaper appears
to be one that will print what he
, thinks ought to be printed and moth
ing else.
The other reason for the newspaper
reaction against what is now said to
be the unfounded notion that they
might have to rely on the owl for
news coverage, is an increasing dis
! taste for Mr.. Davis. When he first
took office, Mr.. Davis was given al
most unanimous press support, but
i the personal friendliness toward him
| has greatly diminished. Partly, this
is due to the extreme self-righteOus-
ness with which he repels any hint
that, under him, the OWL could be
even family tinged with partisanship,
| politics or inefficiency. This noble
attitude has caused it to be publicly
recalled that Mr.. Davis, who now
reeks with nonpartisanship, was re-
Gently very active member of the
! county committee of the American
Labor party of New York, generally
regarded as one of the most radical
groups in the country The ALP and
| Mr.. Davis were both for the third
term "draft" and though Mr. Davis,
as required by the civil service law,
resigned his committeeship after he
took his present office, presumably,
both he and it will be for the fourth
term draft"
| So:
Perhaps, Mr. Davis can rise above