Evening star., 1947-01-12
Free Press Is Needed
For a Lasting Peace,
Robertson Tells RA
By the Asseeiafed Press


RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 1.-Any
plan for a lasting peace that does
not include our conception of free
press will rest upon a 'precarious
basis" Senator Robertson, Demo-
crat, of Virginia, told members of
the Virginia Press Association to-
night.
He spoke at the associations an
nua1 banquet, at which DR.. Doug
las Southal Freeman, editor of the
Richmond News Leader and noted
historian and author, received the
groups distinguished service award.
Gov. Tuck made the presentation,
given for outstanding service to
Virginia journalism during 1916.
Ratio Wins Award.
Frank Ratio, manager of the
Loudoun News, Leesburg, received
top honors in the nondaily feature
writing field for series of ar
ticles exposing local school condi-
tions. Awards also were made to
both daily and nondaily photog-
raphers for the first time in the
history of the association.
More than 200 Virginia publishers
and staff members attended the
banquet, which ended the VPA two
day midwinter convention.
Declaring that without free
press, our democracy would soon
perish" Senator Robertson empha-
sized that "a free press must, OF
necessity, embrace worldwide
program"
Recalls Early Virginia Liberalism.
He recalled Virginia's part in OBJ
tanning inclusion of the Bill of
Rights in the Federal Constitution
and quoted statements of Patrick
Henry and Thomas Jefferson advo-
eating press freedom.
He said, however, that Jefferson
knew, as we all do, that while a
free press is essential to the demo-
cratic form of government, no press
could survive where some orderly
form of government did not exist.
Government without the voice
of the people, as expressed through
their media of communication, to
guide it becomes autocracy,' Sena-
tor Robertson said. But the press
and it's younger sister, the radio,
would be voices crying in the wilder
ness without a Government able to
give substance to the expressed de-
sires of the people"
Press Must Avoid Corruption.
The Virginian quoted Gen. Carlos
Romulo as saying that the press,
the radio and the movies, to be free,
must not only be able to operate
without fetters, but must be in
wardly free of corrupting motives
and self limiting prejudices.
I'm no State in the Union" he
said, has the press been freer from
'corrupting motives and limit
ing prejudices' than in Virginia.
He then appealed to the members
of the Virginia Press Association
to take the fullest advantage of
their opportunities for the positive
responsibilities of freedom"
Free Press International Problem.
Referring to a new realization
that a free press, like many other
matters which once were only of
national concern, now has become
an international problem, the Sena-
tor pointed out that Congress since
September, 1914, has been on record
with a resolution expressing its be-
lief in the worldwide right of inter-
change Of news by news gathering
and distributing agencies.
IT am happy" he added, that
in the program for worldwide free
dom of information, sponsored by
the American Society of Newspaper
Editors and by such individuals as
Kent Cooper of the Associated
Press and Hugh Baillie of the United
Press. the Virginia Press Associa-
ton has played an active and effec-
tive part.