Evening star., 1943-04-19
Food Farley Secrecy
Dangerous Precedent
Editors Declare
Statement by Majority
Of Directors AssuiIs
Presidents Policy
BY the Associated Press.


NEW YORK, April 19.-Roy A.
Roberts of the Kansas City Star,
president of the American Society
of Newspaper Editors, has issued a
statement declaring that dangerous
precedents" are being established by
what he described as President
Roosevelt's policy to restrict news
coverage Of the approaching United
Nations food conference.
Mr.. Roberts said last night that
majority of the society's board
of directors had approved the state
ment. Declaring special meeting
of the board had been called to dis
cuss the matter, Mr.. Roberts said
that since some of the members had
not been able to attend, the state
ment was not being issued as a
formal announcement of the So
ciety.
The statement said:
president Roosevelts declared
policy denies reasonable access to
original sources of information and
progress of the forthcoming United
Nations food conference. Without
adequate information sound public
opinion cannot be formed.
Dangerous Precedent Feared.
THE Presidents policy challenges
the right of the American people to
receive public information free of
governmental restrictions or control.
A pattern is being established which,
if continued, will stifie the right of
free inquiry and prevent continuous
flow of full information to the pub
lie.
THE Government should not use
voluntary censorship to serve it's
convenience and interest. We should
strongly hold to the principle that
in the United States the people have
a right to participate in public dis
cussions.
THE Government should not
withhold or restrict Information on
the food conference. Newspapers
are discouraged from exercising
ordinary diligence in informing the
public of the progress of these dis
cussions, on the pretext that free
inquiry might embarrass proceed
ings.
Physical access to delegates is
being restricted. Military informa-
ton is not involved. Press and
public gladly withhold information
that aids the enemy. Dangerous
precedsnts are being established
which will hide in a cloud of public
misunderstanding and doubt the
solution of international problems
raising question whether open
covenants are being openly ar
rived at.
Policy Breeds Distrust.
This policy should be aban-
doned. 1t promotes distrust of the
Government and denies the right of
every American citizen to know
what his Government is doing and,
to form an opinion about it. Only
as the public is informed can democ-
racy survive"
Joining Mr.. Roberts in issuing the
statement we're:
William Allen White of the En-
poria tKansD Gazette, Tom Wal
lace OF the Louisville Times, Dwight
Marvin of the Troy On. " Record
w. S. Gilmore of the Detroit News.
Wilbur Forrest of the New York
Herald Tribune, Ben McKelway of
The Washington Star, James M.
North of the Fort Worth STAR
Telegram, Erwin D. Canham of the
Christian Science Monitor, Basil L.
Walters of the Minneapolis Star
Journal and Dwight Young of the
Dayton Journal Herald.
The ASNE sessions were the first
OF three meetings of newspaper or
neWs-gathering organizations sched-
uled to be held here this week. The
annual meeting and luncheon of the
Associated Press will be held today
and tomorrow the American News
paper Publishers Association will
begin a three-day meeting.