Detroit evening times., 1945-05-17
FAIR
ENOUGH
BYWestb brook
Peeler

morals which our country has
imported from continental Eu-
rope in recent years is the word
'rationaliZe, meaning process
by which an obvious wrong can
be made right.
Usually, the argument is made
that the wrong was committed
10 redress or Illustrate worse
wrong.
Hitler rationalized his most
atrociouS acts as historic JUS
tice and leaders OF the CIO so
justified mob violence.
This is the process that was
invoked in the case OF Edward
Kennedy's dispatch to the ASSo-
ciated Press on the signing OF
the first German surrender at
ReimS.
Kennedy's colleagues, who
took with him apledge a 10 with
hold the news. denounced his
conduct as "the most Disgrace
ful, deliberate and umethical
double-crOss in the history of
journalism"
In Kennedy's defense the ar
gument ran that the censors had
no right to impose such a pledge
and that therefore ii was not
binding.
And, besides the surrender
ended the war and the iustifica-
tion for military censorship and
the American people had a right
10 the news without delay.
TO ALL of which, of course,
Il the only honest answer must
he that reporter did not have
10 take the pledge and accept
the confidence but having done
so, could release himself only at
the risk of his own honor.
The issue of whether the CEN
sor was justified inimpoSing the
restraints is another question
entirely.
The man who violates his
word OF honor has the advan-
tage of initiative and surprise.
ItfS AS though two men were
sleeping together in a room and
one should 60 through the pock-
cts of the other in the night and
sink away
There is no protection against
betrayal of trust. the first time.
These things do happen in the
newspaper business but so sell
dom that the men who obtain
monetary advantages by such
acts pay for their little iris
umphs as long as they live.
In a historic case that occurred
during the Russian famine after
| the first World War. a noted
American reporter of the adven-
turer type violated An agree
ment with the rest of p group
by which they were 10 wait
until they reached a central
point and then all file at once.
TT WAS a big story and those
Il who kept the agreement dis
covered later that their stories
were not news but their col
league had Sneaked off and
found a wire and filed his piece
days before they arrived at the
point agreed on.
The hero of this episode was
repeater for he had double
crossed the bunch many years
before back in the United States
when he was just a cub.
In that case a large band of
reporters were camped in tiny
settlement in the back country
covering the brave stand of A
Single-handed settler against
the lumber trust which was
trying 10 fault his title 10 A
claim of timber land.
There was only one wire into
the village and the crowd drew
numbers out Of hat 10 deter
mine the order in which their
stories should be filed.
The cub drew No. |. wrote a
fairly long story, filed il and dis
appeared.
Soon after it cleared. the wire
went dead. and the others, going
out along the line. discovered
that some one had climbed a
pole and cut il.
This exploit had not been for
gotten at the time OF the Rus
sian famine but the others on
that expedition apparently reck-
oned that their colleague had
now matured and learned better.
At any rate, to their great re-
greet, they trusted him
To the day Of his death, long
afterward, he was remembered
more for these two betrayals
than for his excellent feats Of
coversge and writing.
TEE New York reporters Of a
Il few years ago. at any rate.
II not the reporters of today
with whose methods ! am less
familiar, had a very strict code.
The morning paper people ran
in one pack apd the afternoon
people in another.
The two groups were competi-
tive and did not exchange ma
terial.
However, within the groups
there was entire cooperation.
They would meet at central
points on returning from their
forays on various angles Of big
story. compare notes and fill in
the blanks.
Kennedy's scoop on the ar
mistice contained less power
than one would have expected a
Npar AGO