Evening star., 1943-11-15
j. ). News Executives
Ask Press Freedom
In Peace Program
By the Associated Press.

Postwar peace plans should in
clude definite assurances that news
papers will have an opportunity to
present truthful and complete ac-
counts of world events, in the
opinion OF more than a score of
leading American news executives
and writer's.
Kent Cooper, executive director
OF the Associated Press, wrote in
survey on Journalism in War
time" that newspapers should have
free and direct access to news of
all governments, thereby enabling
the press to present the truth to
peoples the world over.
John H. Sorrells, executive editor
OF the Scripps- Howard newspapers
calling the American public "the
best Informed in the world" said
the responsibilities of the press in
wartime are even greater than in
peace.
Published by Council.
The survey was published last
night by the American Council on
Public Affairs.
Mr.. Cooper asserted that free
dissemination of truth would lessen
the chance Of war.
Availability of news at the
source" he said, with the result
Ing competition in getting it and
preparing it for publication under
standably, will lead to the disclosure
OF the truth to all peoples. And 1t
Is the truth that makes men free.
Governments never have an easy
time melting free men to war. Thus
If the truth is available, men every-
where will be free and there will be
less likelihood of war"
He urged a crusade by the Ameri-
can press for universal adoption of
the principle of free accessibility of
news to all papers and news services
IN all countries of the world.
"strongest Newspaper Force"
Exclusive access to the news
Of governments can only be gained
by news service through its sub
ordination to the government that
affords such access" he said. THAT
means that the Governments news
story can be told in only one way,
the Government way, with the re-
sulting perversion of the truth when
necessary to serve that Govern
ment's purpose"
Mr.. Cooper said the American
press is "the strongest newspaper
force ever developed in any nation"
and should give to the entire world
"the principles of it's idealism."
Mr.. Sorrells termed the American
newspaper IAN instrument of de-
mocracy" and said the dissemina-
ton of information constitutes "an
indispensable weapon of war as we'll
as Of peace"
I'm a peoples war, the people
fight best-they give of their earn
ings and time and energy most will
ingly-when they are kept informed
about the results of their efforts
and the progress Of their cause"
he said. This Is not merely to
satisfy the natural and traditional
curiosity of the American people.
It is a vital factor in creating and
preserving public morale. ~,
Says Papers Kept Faith.
"A people who have been as fully
and as honestly informed over the
years as the American people be-
come uneasy and suspicious in any
situation in which they feel they
are not getting the facts. ="
Mr.. Sorrells said that "in no
essential has the American news
paper failed to keep faith with the
necessities of military secrecy-and
there is evidence, which will mount
as time goes on, of its vigilance and
effectiveness in preserving the
essential elements of free press"
Gardner Cowles, jr., president of
the Des Moines Gowa) Register and
Tribune and former domestic direc-
tor of the Office of War Informa-
ton, contended that fifth freedom
that of information Everywhere
in the world"-is needed to carry out
the four freedoms in the Atlantic |
Charter.
Secrecy Prevents Outcry.
A contributing factor in Axis de-
feat will be complete governmental
control of the press, as in Japan,
wrote Palmer Hoyt, publisher of the
Portland Oregonian and present di-
rector of Owls domestic branch.
Such regimentation prevents public |
outcry that would develop if military
and Government blunders were
made known generally.
Frank Gannett, head of the Gan |
nett group of newspapers, said that
the press has attained public con-
fidence to a point never before
reached mainly because they have
followed a policy of truthful presen-
tation of the news.
Raymond Clapper, Washington
political commentator, protested the
censorship policy which has forbid
den transmission outside the United
States of some news and opinion
published within the country. The
Axis, he said, has other means of
getting any such information, and
the net effect is to keep information
from the reading public of Allied
countries.
The theory, he said, is that pub
lication of material that might |
cause divisions among the United
Nations is undesirable, but he con-
tended the real question is whether
we want the artificial unity OBJ
tained by suppression or the real
unity that develops out of the frank
discussion which alone can produce
a meeting of minds"
Lyle Wilson, manager Of the
Washington Bureau of the United
Press, warned of what he described
as trend toward official channeli-
zation of Washington news, with an
information agency such as owl
between reporters and original
sources.
n. n-l- - C..L