Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-15

THIS time it was apparent to
l. most people also that the
press appeals on both sides were
directed toward the intelligence
of the people. This reflects the
fact that their decisions were
made in good conscience. The
tanning of emotions was prac-
ticed, with abandon and, largely
by the extremists among whom
the administration was more
than amply represented by the
Ickes crowd.
I would not bother to point
to circumstances so glaring,
were il not for the fact that
there is a constructive job in
relation to news and comment
that Mr.. Ickes could be doing
instead of promoting post-elec-
ton discussions about a CAM
paign in which nearly 100000
people were for Dewey and
100000 more for Roosevelt.
NEWSPAPERMEN generally
4 Y study facts, issues and the
prospects of what is ahead for
the country more closely than
the average citizen who may
only read in haste as he hur-
ries on with his living, gather
ing his political decisions from
a glance at headlines, and what
he hears from politicians. What
is needed constructively is more
facts, greater newspaper pres
entation of them, rather than
less.
But Ickes does not deserve so
much attention as a press con-
dition which may wreck the
peace. 1t will have far more
to do with world freedom of the
future than the formulas now
ardently discussed. yet few gov
eminent officials and practi-
cally no great section of the
public understands il or its
Importance. The new league of
nations can be no better than
what is done about freeing
news for the world.
THERE can be no freedom
i anywhere without freedom
of news. You can readily see
that spoonfed news from any of
the worlds nations can bring on
war, as easily as aggression. in
deed is an indispensable prepare
ton of all aggression programs.
In our own elections, news
flows freely from all sides. Yet
if only one side had been pre-
sented in this election cam
paign. any inducement for
factual presentation would have
been eliminated and aggression
domestically could have been ac-
complished.
Basic theory of this peace is
that the world nations are to
understand each other in the flu
ture and live in friendliness.
They cannot live in friendliness
without genuine understanding
and they cannot have under
standing without a free flow OF
world news. The peace will be
false, whatever new league of
nations regulations are made
no matter how strong-if the
news can be made false. The
balance of the world cannot be
preserved if the news is unbal-
anced.
COMPLETE freedom cannot
~ be arranged at once. Euro
pean nations have been spoonfed
their news too long. Russla's
press. for instance, is the gov
eminent itself. Yet / think any
reasonable person can see that
by whatever degree freedom of
news is achleVed, the peace VIII
be effective TO that same de-
gree-and no more.
These are my views. A gal
liant fight for news freedom has
been led by Kent Cooper of the
Associated Press. He spent %
years successfully beating down
European news controls as
shown in his book Barriers
Down." which every American
should read to understand fully
the depths of the points in
volved. Both party platforms
have adopted a declaration for
news freedom and Congress
unanimously endorsed the idea.
Yet il remains in the category OF