Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-16
Newspaper Serves U. S.
Just as Guns and anks Do

10 smear and assail them, 10
separate them from their gov
eminent and the people they
serve.
The movement should be seen
for what il is. If there is malice.
let us find the reasons for it, If
il comes as thee clumsy result of
inexperienced a d m istrators.
let that fact be known--what
coterie. what clique or group of
men constantly seek 10 impose
restrictions on Americas first
and last line Of freedom.
The newspapers of America
are ready TO share in any de-
privation required by the war,
but prudence demands that we
e inquire whether or not through
the fundamentally of war regu-
lations the newspapers are being
made the target of an attack by
enemies of America-saboteurs
who seek TO destroy the news
papers and through them 10 de-
Stroy one of the most treasured
rights of American citizens.
When the government estab-
lished the base for the use Of
ewsprint, they chose the
amount used by the various
newspapers in 1871 when the in
terests of the American people
were concerned with wars be-
tween foreign nations.
This base ignored the interest
and increased demands for news
on the part of the American peo-
pie now when our own flesh and
blood and our own country is
engaged in the death struggle of
this global war
WE NEED but TO turn our eyes
w toward the countries Of our
enemies to see what follows the
destruction of a free press. We
have only TO remember the OPP
preston of the peoples OF other
lands TO know what comes as
the result of government control
of newspapers by emergency
regulations.
We have only 10 read the his
tory of our country 10 recall
from what conditions our fore
fathers fled and why they sur
rounded the press with constitu-
tional guarantees.
Any step falsely taken which
impairs the freedom and useful
ness of newspapers is a per-
fidious act. Those who join any
such conspiracy are enemies Of
this republic, and active support
ers of those alien PHILOSOPHERS
against which the whole military
and civilian power of this coun-
try is now marshalled.
Attempts 70 hamstring news
papers strike at the very prin-
ciples on which this country was
founded. Our forefathers fore
saw the double Importance Of
the press as an inalienable right
of the people and as dynamic
force in promulgating the idea
of liberty.
If they did not, why would
they have given il such singular
mention in that great document
under which this country has
risen to a state which is the in
SEPARATION of the world?
The newspaper is the voice OF
freedom. Those great minds
which built a refuge and bastion
for free men in the United
States perceived the necessity of
keeping the press free and took
steps TO implement that freedom.
Are we to permit the use of
sly. indirect methods through
which the press is TO be brought
under control ~ M
The fact that we are in war
magnifies rather than minlmizes
the Importance OF the press of
this country. Our people are
looking with increasing anxiety
and interest for the unadulter-
ated news of each day to be
brought TO them by a press free
from unnecessary and vicious
bureaucratic eficiency-destroy-
ing restrictions
They are looking to Congress
TO protect their precious price
less right 10 be so served by the