Detroit evening times., 1945-01-20
FAIR
ENOUGH
By Westbrook
Pegler


voice shrilling hate is much
more effect than even the larg-
est type.
The act of listening to radio
requires no concentration and
the least intelligent persons who
would not bother to spell out
text and try TO understand the
printed word may be easily in
famed by exhorters of the air.
1t has no prevailing sense OF
editorial responsibility and Co
lumbia has been harshly criti-
cized by elements Of the clamor-
Gus left wing for attempting to
observe moderation in the more
or less editorial comment by
which radio undertakes to inter-
pret the news.
DAUL WHITE of Columbia, a
i newspaper writer and copy
editor for years before he went
radio, speaks hesitatingly when
he tries 10 explain his attitude.
The best safeguard would be
the presence in command OF
radio OF men similar 10 the
publishers of most of our news
papers and magazines who have
inherited a tradition of modera-
tion fairness and responsibility
and weigh their actions accord
ingly.
That does not mean that
newspapers cannot crusade for
causes.
The defeat OF Tammany In
New York was less an achieve
ment of Judge Seabury than Of
courageous journalism and
many other cities have been
cleaned up temporarily at least
by similar crusades.
NR years the enemies OF
L William Randolph Hearst
accused him of fomenting the
Spanish-American War. Grant.
ing which for the sake of ar
gument, one might then ask
how many more American lives
might have been lost in the
present war if the Fascist
Spain of Gen. Franco, a satel-
lite Of Nazi Germany, had held
Cuba and Puerto Rico and had
made available 10 Adolf Hitler
naval and air bases close 10 the
United States.
Already. however, some of the
intelligent labor leaders are be-
ginning 10 admit that the Wag.
ner Act which they thought
lessly hailed as labor's Magma
Charta, is not a charter of free
dom for unioniSm.
Newspapers long ago and in
the face Of publ ic prejudice
created by New Deal propa-
ganda and at the cost of long
and expensive harrassment by
government and the unions first
pointed out man-traps in this
act which studious union men
now belatedly recognize.
Consequently even in union
ism there is rising demand for
revision of the Wagner Act.
Radio has no crusade no COM
parable reform 10 its credit for
all its freedom of expression.
On the contrary. IL has lent
its dangerous facilities 10 malev-
olent propagandists and in some
conspicuous cases has deliber-
ately retained on the air broad
casters known 10 be untruthful
and scurrilous merely because
their exciting delivery OF false
or distorted material in the
gHise OF news and comment at
tracted large audiences 10 whom
radio advertisers paying heavily
for their time wanted 10 sell
their goods.
4 T BEST, radio suffers from
"A problems that never have
beset the press and in these
perplexities IL deserves SYM
Pathy and a willingness to un-
Unlike the press II belongs 10
the people themselves
Therefore any pressure group
may set up a demand for time
in which 10 foment hate and
howl for its freedom of express
sion over a means Of expression
whose owners are the American
people.
Some years ago crowds pick
eted a station which had refused
TO permit clergyman 10 broad
cast unless he first submitted his
copy for approval.
The pickets were ugly and
many OF them obviously were
Jew-baiters and pro-Nazis.
The clergyman's fol ] wing
were protesting in the cause OF
freedom of expression, but they
forgot that not long before
members of this exhorter's own
faith had driven off the air at
this same station a hate
preacher who had abused all
members of his cloth and faith.
II is depressing TO hear the
chief OF a national chain say
with spiritless resignation that
he cannot silence a man whom
he knows for an unscrupulous
and malicious blackguard be-
cause the broadcaster has too
strong hold on a public which
has already been shamefully be-
trayed by radio into this state