Milford chronicle., 1946-05-31
ACCORDING TO RELIABIF S1-PyFyc

spend more time per day listening to the
radio than doing any other single thing. other
than sleeping and working In a like manner
the average American, Is the best Informed
individual in the world through the thou
sands of newspapers and magazines printed
daily by the best Informed publishers in the
world
The listening habits and the reading h:b-
its of Americans have been devpIoped
throughout the wears by the freedom of the
press and radio which is enjoyed by both of
these industries Difference Of opinion in the
editorial policies of the press or the commen-
tatiOn of radio reporters only tends to stim-
uate interest and increase the knowledge of
the recipient thus keeping him better IN
formed.
Bv comparison of free American radio. or
press, to governmental owned and operated
radio of other countries, one must only have
been subjected to foreign brOadcaStS, such as
the British Broadcasting Corporation, to have
them spurned as did our servlcemen and Wo-
men overseas; or to such monuments of prop
aganda and misinformatiOn as Radio Berlin.
Radio Rome or Radio Tokyo.
In this day of controversy and lntlltrttiOn
of un-American ideals the American press
and radio have assumed q sacred obligation
toward the people. An obligation they have
proved both worthy and capable of fulfilling
by their long and faithful service to the Am
erican people Any determent OF this policy
of unrestricted reporting and comment would
not only violate the basic principles of demo
cracy but would be the foot in the door, that
would reduce American liberties to the virtual
SerfdOm of the State.
There are those who seek governmental
control of American radio under the guiSe of
"Sheltering" the listener Of SO-called annoy
ing commercial announcements and pro-
grams, termed unfit" for the listener. These
are the same individuals who would ban pub
lie meetings and free expression OF any ma
ture. Governmental ownership of radio
would soon be followed by similar ownership
and control of the press; schools would soon
become state schools and the church would
soon be abolished on become Il state church
Just as the press and radio have an Obli
cation to the American people 50 have the
American people an obligation to protect the
freedom of the press and radio The Ameri
can Legion has come forward in the defense
of these institutions against those who would
abandon democratic principles to make these
media an instrument of the Government. The
LegiOnnaireS who defended with their lives
the principles of free speech have called upon
the people and the Government to retSSur,
and renew their pledge of the freedom Of tn,
press and freedom of speech
To every American and especially ever,
institution and organization an ever watch
full eye should be alert for an encrOuchmen
or infringement of our constitutional right
by assuring the prevalence Of Democrat
principles of free expression.
EVERY DREAM MUST END The An
erican dream of coming out of the worst wa
in history better off than at the start Of tn
war, is being dispelled. 1t was an unhealth
dream in which public debt was called say
lngS, wages were unrelated to prices an
profits We're evil. The coal strike and :; flu,
famine in industry are helping to bring u
down to earth. Condemnation of Mr. Lew
and his United Mine Workers. by high off
cials, sounds more like frustrated hysteri
thar the formidable warning of an outrage
government.
The position of the government is III
tenabe and everybody knows it, The stril
ing miners are doing nothing that is not pc
missible in the dream world in which we HAY
been living. They have simply taken tt
dream at face value as it has been peddled
them by partisan government for man
years They are out to get their share Of tt
dream. Their action has now been termed
national disaster" by the Administrative
and yet the highest officials in gOvelnmel
prices are held down. The real disaster is tn
dream-wOrld reasoning. One-sided labor law
prejudicial wage and price tinke1ing, co
stant viification of private enterprise, owe
riding of property rights, general deriSiC
of the efforts of business men to keep solver
and maintain private empOyment-the
were all part of the dream, inspired by rig
riding public servants and labor leaders WI
seemed not to care what happened SO long
they remained in the good graceS Of their fC
lowers.
WE'LL the dream is ending. 1t now rema
to be seen whether the American people C;
, get the sleep out of their eyes before t
right to private property and personal liber
E is thing of the past The miners demand
, if acceded to, can control management al
, confiscate earnings. They would set Il p;
tern for like action in every industry.
DURING LONG YEARS while Harold
Ickes was at the head of the Interior Depal
ment, the Government poured billions of d.