Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-25
New House Demand
Filed for Probe Of
Suit Against A. P.
Harness Asks Seven-Mon
Committee Be Named
: To Conduct Inquiry

~ UAiA hssoNiHlsu HTeSS.
A new demand for an investiga
ton of circumstances "surroundine
and leading up to" the Justice De-
partments suit charging the ASso-
clated Press with violation of anti
trust laws was made in the House
today by Representative Harness
Republican, of Indiana.
Mr.. Harness introduced a resolu-
ton to create a special seven-man
committee to make the investigation
A resolution calling on the Judici-
airy Committee to conduct an inquiry
was introduced last week by Repre-
sentative Shafer, Republican, of
Michigan.
the investigation proposed by Mr.
Harness would be for the purpose of
determining the truth or falsity. of
assertions that the bringing of such
action is a part of plan to restrict
or destroy the freedom of the press
in the United States"
Statement for Record.
In statement prepared for the
Congressional Record, Mr.. Harness
said he believed a special commit
tee should be named because this
action directly and vitality touches
basic private rights specifically
guaranteed in the Bill of Rights in
way which should make 1t of para
mount interest to the whole House"
The burden of the Governments
,vola iy1t r1c+
Press, Mr.. Harness said, is that it
illegally restricts the use of its
news-gathering and news dispatch
ing facilities" that it has no right
TO restrict its membership and that
it illegally requires participating
members to furnish locally gathered
news to the associations member
ship.
Asserting that publishers without
regard to their immediate relation
to the case" have denounced the
suit as an attack on freedom of the
press or a move to benefit pub
fishers who are administration sup
porters," Mr.. Harness said
THE unadorned facts in the case
convince me that either or both
countercharges may be justified"
The Hoosier said the character of
the Associated Press and the meth
Cd of its operation neither violated
the spirit of our antitrust laws"
nor tended to destroy competing
publishers.
Questions Point at Issue.
"If there is actually nothing in
the activities of the Associated Press
which denies to non-members the
right to gather, distribute and pub
lish news; if there is nothing in
its operating policies inconsistent
with long established American
principles of business, just what is
it that the Department of Justice
attempts to prove or to accomplish
In this action?" Mr.. Harness asked.
Has it really found a point at
issue here which has long been
overlooked or rejected in other ad-
ninistrations? Has it a just COM
plant, or is there, on the other
hand, real basis for the fears that
this is a designed and deliberate at
tack upon the guarantees of the
first amendment to the Constitu-
ton?
"Or. finally, is there any merit in
the charges commonly heard that
this action is founded on the desire
of this administration to promote
the selfish interests of certain pub
fishers who promise to be blind fol-
lowers and supporters of a political
administration in payment of spe-
cial privileges secured?
There appears to be sufficient
basis for the charges arising against
the Department of Justice to war
rant a full and careful review of
all the factors involved in this &C
ton"
Commencing the American press
for is thorough loyalty" and its
cooperation in the war effort, Mr.. /
Harness said the Nations news
papers deserved better from the
American people than this reward
which the administration has pre-
pared unless there are cir
cumstances supporting this COM
plant which have entirely escaped |
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