Evening star., 1946-04-22
AP Tells Members
Why Il Banned News
To State Department
BY the Associated Pres,

cided to terminate AP service to
the State Dep3 tment for short
wave broadcast.
In a report to the annual men,
bership meeting in the Waldorf AS
toria Hotel the directors said:
Many erroneous statements have
been made about this action. Mo-
tlves were attributed which have
no relationship to the facts. On the
other hand certain sober criticism
has been voiced and the member
ship is entitled to a statement from
the board as to the basis of its ac-
ton.
Necessarily Propaganda.
Il. 1t has been said repeatedly
that the service which the State
Department plans to put out will
not be propaganda but fair pre-
sentation of the Associated Press
report. Perhaps there is miscon-
ception of what propaganda is. We
hold that any broadcast designed
10 promote our way of life will of
necessity be propaganda - good
propaganda possibly, from an
American viewpoint, but certainly
not objective news presentation.
That the Associated Press report
should be objective goes without
saying. 1t should be borne in mind,
however, that the acceptability of
the report as objective is also the
problem of the Associated Press.
This acceptance is an asset of in
eStimable value and makes its con-
tribution to universal understand
ing, since the reporting of events as
they are is a basis of confidence be-
tween peoples.
1T should be pointed out that the
old Reuters, not the Reuters of to-
day. and Tass and Havas were not
fully acceptable to newspapermen
because Of the fact they were used
by their governments and reflected
the national aims of their govern
ments.
Contracts Being Changed.
Y. 1t is charged that the Associ-
eted Press continues to serve other
governments and consequently is
discriminating against our own. The
adoption of the resolution included
instruction to renegotiate all con-
tracts which were in any way in con-
f1ict with the principle enunciated
N the resolution itself. AS result,
contracts with the Canadian Press
and the British Broadcasting Co. are
in process of such renegotiations to
provide only for the domestic use
within their own borders of Associ-
ated Press news. All other contracts,
including the one with Tass, already
call for such limited USE"
The board said it would meet to-
morrow afternoon with Assistant
Secretary of State William Benton
at Mr.. Benton's request and would
consider further views of his
department"
Such evidence may be convinc-
ing" the directors said, but unless
it is, the board sees no reason to
modify its position on the principle
laid down in its January resolution"
Suit Cost S474,314.
The board said the three-year
cost to the AP of the Governments
antitrust suit, including legal fees
and expenses, was $474,31455.
Commenting on the report of the
treasurer, presented this year as a
consolidated statement of revenues
and expenses, including domestic
subsidiaries, the board said:
Expenses have increased mate
Eally in all departments, including
particularly salaries and expense of
the foreign service. The board calls
the attention of the members to the
problem created by the fact that the
expenses for the year 1945 exceed
revenue by several hundred thou
sand dollars
CThe consolidated statement of
revenue and expenses for the
Associated Press and domestic
subsidiaries for the year ended
December 81, l945, mailed previ-
ously to members, showed total
revenues of $16,650,6 ,630.58 and ex-
penses of $16,997, ,706.85.)
The board said the AP member
ship increased during the year from
1888 to 1,271.
Doesn't Help Revenues.
"Under the present assessment
formula this does not add materi-
ally to the total revenues of the
Associated Press. In this connec-
ton the board has appointed a spe-
cial committee to examine with the
management the assessment formula
in all phases and all questions re-
lating to revenues"
Owen j. Roberts, retired Supreme
Court justice. will speak at the AP
luncheon today following the morn
ing business session.
The AP members will elect six di-
rectors, act on applications for men,
bership and consider recommen-
dation of the Board of Directors
that certain classes of users of news
be eligible for associate membership,
including owners of radio stations
and persons, firms and corporations
engaged in the publication of news
which now have or may hereafter
nave news exchange arrangements
with the AP.
Directors Renominated.
The directors whose terms expire
and who have been nominated for
reelection are: j. r. Knowland,
Oakland (CalifD Tribune; Paul
Bellamy, Cleveland Plain Dealer; E.
K. Gaylord, Oklahoma City Okla
homan; Arthur Hays Sulzberger,
New York Times; James E. Chap
pell, Birmingham Age Herald, and
o. S. Warden. Great Falls (Mont)
Tribune.
Other nominees are: Norman
Chandler, Los Angeles Times; John
S. Knight, Detroit Free Press; Anon
G. Carter, Fort Worth Star-Tele-
gram; Edward E. Lindsay, Decatur
CID Review; Mark Ethridge, Louis
vile Courier journal, and Lincoln
O'Brien, Claremont IN. H. Daily
Eagle.
Mr.. Warden and Mr.. O'Brien are
contestants for a dictatorship for
cities of less than $4,000 population.
100 nm Inne Rain