Montana labor news., 1945-02-01
WALLACE CHARTS HOPE FOR labor

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CHIEF ON FREE
PRESS is MUFFED
(NOTE: u. S. publishers now engaged
in a noisy campaign for worldwide
free press largely failed to print the reply
of N. Baltisky to Executive Director Kent
Cooper of the AP that appeared in the
Soviet magazine, War and the Working
Glass. Baltisky's 5-columu article ap-
peared in the Washington Post Jan. d,
explaining the Soviet conception and how
it differs from the U. S practice as
outlined by Cooper Excerpts follow.
WASHINGTON = tFP) TT is one
thing to recognize by law the right Of
citizens to publish newspaper and maya
zines which serve their interests and
quite a different thing to guarantee the
use of their rights to the people
AS is known in a majority Of coun-
tries of Europe and America, the main
restriction Of freedom Of the press is not
apparent in restrictions by law, but in
the fact that the broad masses of the
people and organizations have no mate
rial possibilities at their disposal neces-
sary for publication of newspapers and
magazines.
In the Soviet Unoin only, where all
power is in the hands OF the toilers Of
cities and villages represented by Soviet
deputies, a judicial right to issue their
own magazines and newspapers is guar
anteed by supplying toilers and their or
ganizations with paper, printing Offices
buildings, communications and other
commodities. Everything is guaranteed
by the Soviet constitution.
In America, big newspaper is
first of all a commercial enterprise Of
its owner. The well-known publicist,
William A. White Of the Emporia Ga
zette. declared, not without bitterness,
that newspaper work used to be a noble
profession, but at present it's per cent
of investment on capital. Many other
Americans say it is impossible to issue
a big newspaper in America unless you
have big capital at your disposal or you
are connected with big capital
Baltisky reviewed the fact that news
papers sell to readers for a fraction of
their actual cost, with the difference
made up from the profits coming from
the advertisements. He estimated that
s1Ib billions is spent annually for U. S.
newspaper advertising and said: This
does not mean every advertisement is a
bribe to a newspaper, but still we can't
overlook statements made by American
writer's and journalists who affirm that
advertising in America became one Of
the main channels of newspaper cor
rupuon"
George Seldes, editor Of In Fact, is
quoted in the Soviet articles as mot de-
nying that big capitalists enjoy freedom
of the press in full and that the less
capital one has, the less freedom Of the
press he has. He who has no capital has
no freedom Of press"
Turning to Cooper's charge against
the U. S. S. R., Baltisky said MI
Cooper is wrong if he thinks freedom OF
press is the same thing as lack of con-
troll over the press For instance, he
talks about alleged absence Of press free
dom in the Soviet Union, trying to prove
it by charging that the soviets keep
control over their news agency and
press
yes. such control really exists-but
he is wrong who thinks freedom of press
eliminates leadership and guidance. 1t is
honest to say not single agency OF
newspaper functions without some guild
ance and control in any country.
THE matter is not in control or guild
ance but in who is realizing it and in
whose interest it is done. In ours, con-
troll was being realized by Soviets Of
deputies. or toiers and various public
organizations and the Communist party
first of all. Then control responded tC
masses of toilers who widely enjoy free
dom of press. Thanks to it, the pres
contributes to education of the masses
in the cultural moral and polltica
sense"
After reviewing some of the old SIAN
ders printed here against the U. S. s. r
and since found admittedly false, Bal
tisky recalled that the Soviet press haC
upheld unity for peace among the demo
cratic nations while for the most part
the U. S. papers upheld differences il
the camps Of peace-loving countries. l
seems now that not the American bu
the Soviet system of press freedom guar
antees the most stable, progressive posi-
ton of the press.