Evening star., 1949-04-21

partiality of the wire services Ia
as important as ever"
The responsible way In which
State Department agencies have
used the news given them. how
ever. Mr.. Virgins said. convinced
the committee that the wire serv-
ices now have less reason TO fear
that their independence and i'm
partiality" would be affected By
furnishing news 10 the foreign In
formation program.
tThe AP Board Of Directors
| had no comment On the COM
| mittee report. On January ..
| ls46, the AP board held that
| Government entry into overseas
| broadcasting arouses fear Of
propaganda
The more than 500 delegates.
representing the Nations out
standing newspapers, were vel
coined to their three-day conven-
ton by Erwin D. Canham. editor
Of the Christian Science Monitor
and president Of the society.
Canham Warns Delegates.
Mr.. Canham told the delegates
that the battle for q free inter
national fiow OF news has turned
into "an uphill and dangerous
business. although the situation
has become more encouraging
| in the last few days and there
remains a strong possibility that
United Nations treaties may be
written which will be completely
satisfactory to American news
papers.
| Earlier. Mr.. Canham had ex-
pressed fear the original agree
ments have been so altered by
proposed amendments that they
are being used In some areas "as
a means Of imposing new controls
and limitations on the press"
Basil L. Walters. chairman OF
the ASNE Committee on Freedom
of Information, reported that the
tendency to restrict free access
to news Is found In small towns
in the United States. as well rs
in Washington.
The report of Mr.. Walters gave
a running account of the efforts
Of the Committee on Freedom OF
Information to break down any
thing resembling intrusion on
freedom Of information"
| Mr.. Canham. who Is a member
of the United States delegations
on the United Nations freedom OF
information project. said.
THE danger Is that at this
stage in world history interna-
tional agreements may be written
on the subject Of freedom Of in
formation, which will leave us
farther back than when we
started"
Mr.. Canham pointed out that
the United States would not be
required to sign and ratify inter-
national conventions which were
unsatisfactory.
- EMany Have Grievances.
/ "The dangeris,7 he added. THAT
these possibly restrictive treaties
may be signed and applied by
fother powers. thus impeding anew
our effort to facilitate the freer
interchange of information and
particularly to obtain and ever
more accurate and full news rec
ord of world events for Amer
ican readers"
The essential attributes of a
free press are not understood by
Representatives. Of many of the
nations participating in the Lake
Success negotiations. Mr.. Cam
ham asserted.
"The urge for power which is
instinct with governments is at
the fore at Lake Success" he
said. National and regional
self-interest rule policy"
The ASNE. however. should not
abandon its efforts to reach q
workable agreement at Lake Sue
cess. Meanwhile. he said. the So
ciety should intensity Its efforts to
/ achieve closer cooperation with
fellow newspapermen aboard
rather than with governments.
Mr.. Walters reported that the
Society's Committee on Freedom
Of Information, still is dissatisfied
with the information policy Of the
Veterans Administration. After
an inquiry by the Society. he re-
ported, Carl r. Gray. jr.. VA Ad-
ministrator. said his information
staff Is instructed always to give
full facts to the press"
Access Not Enough.
| But the committee indicated
that 1t feels access to information
spokeSmen is not enough.
THE basic right Of access to
public officials of any rank should
not be denied on any matter OF
] Importance" the committee re-
ported.
Mr.. Walters. who Is executive
editor of the Knight newspapers.
said the committee felt that "our
duty as newspapermen Is to act
always as the eyes of the Amer
ican public and to keep the
eternal spotlight of publicity on
all servants of the people-in-
Guiding the military"
| The ASNE. Mr.. Walters report
ed, is helping in the case testing
a rule Of the Baltimore bench
which restricts the reporting OF
news on q court case between the
arrest and the trial \of the ac-
cused.
Mr.. Walters report cited these
other situations In which the
Society has intervened, informally