Evening star., 1950-11-15
Governments News
Handouts Criticized
In Report 10 Editors
BY tho Assoeioted Press

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permen were urged today to use
more initiative In reporting and
10 stop accepting at face value
the food of handouts" from
Government press agents.
A criticism Of Government press
releases was contained in a re-
port TO the 17th national meeting
OF the Associated Press Man
aging Editors Association. The
report was prepared by q sub
committee on domestic news
v. M. Newton, jr., Of the Tampa
Tribune. Is subcommittee chair
man.
Mr.. Newton's group called fol
more initiative in probing behind
handouts to get all the facts
not Just the facts that Govern
ment agencies want to give the
public.
The convention, expected to
draw O record 500 managing edi-
tors from throughout the Nation
opened business sessions today
1t will continue through Satur-
day.
Russell Brines to Speak.
Russell Brines, who heads the
APPS Korean war staff, was today's
principal scheduled speaker. Mr.
Brines is chief of the AP bureau
in Tokyo and accompanied Gen.
Macarthur on his trips to the
Korean War front.
The veteran war correspondent
said in an interview yesterday
that Americans are hoping to
avoid war with Communist China
while, in reality the war already
is underway.
'The American public hardly
realizes-and it must realize
that the fighting in Korea is now
a large-scale war against Com
munist China" Mr.. Brines de-
clared.
United Nations forces already
have virtually wiped out the
North Korean armies, but still
must fight their way to the Man
churian and Siberian borders to
achieve victory.
Thousands Of Chinese Massing.
"And 10000 Communist Chinese
troops block their way. Many
more thousand Communist rein
forcements, and military stock
piles, are massing just across the
border where they are now i'm
mune from U. N. attack"
Gen. Macarthur has asked per-
mission to order planes across the
border and bomb these reserves
personally" Mr.. Brines COM
mented, "I cannot see how-mili-
tarily-we can expect our front
line troops to continue against an
enemy building reserves with
immunity"
The war correspondent added,
however, that the U. N. should
remain ready to negotiate set
tlement with the Chinese, II 1t
can do so without weakening It's
position.
One member Of the domestic
news subcommittee, Charles A.
Hazen of the Shreveport Ua.)
Times, submitted a separate per-
sonal report in which he accused
the AP of left-wing bias. MIR.
Hazen cited So cases.
Others Challenge Views.
A majority of the committee,
however, said it could not agree
with Mr.. Hazen's views after max
ing an extensive study of the
charges.
The majority report said:
q" if any AP news story
gives the appearance of bias, it is
due Cd to poor and incomplete
reporting; co to rigid adherence
to a too narrow and frustrating
definition of objectivity which
shackles initiative and leaves
many questions unanswered ane
truth unsought; or 90 to stupid.
ity and carelessness both II
writing and filing"
On Government handouts th'
committee said:
Government bureaus. with al
eye to guiding and Influencing
the news, have installed pres
agents. Your committee haI
yet to find a single Government
press agent who ever released
single Government handout tina
was detrimental to his politica
boss"
Federal, State and city govern
ments are spending about $10l
million on press agents and hand
outs, and the Federal Govern
ment alone has $4,000 press agent
on its payroll. the report stated
Directors tc Be Named.
The APMRE Nominating Com.
mittee, headed by Stanley P. Bar.
nett of the Cleveland Plain Dealer
submitted 16 nominees for tn,
APME Board of Directors. Eigh
will be elected for three-yeal
terms. Balloting will be held to.
morrow and results announced
Friday.
The nominees:
John H. Colburn, Richmond
Times Dispatch; Frank Eyerly
Des Moines, Register; Ray ]. Fan.
ming, Waterbury, Republican; A
M. Glassberg, Everett, Herald
Purser Hewitt, Jackson CMiss)
Clarion-Ledger; r. M. Hit, jr.
Charleston Is. c., Post; Norman
Isaacs, st. Louis, Star Times.
Raymond McCaw, New Yorl
Times; v. M. Newton, jr., Tampa
Tribune; Murray Powers, Akron
Beacon Journal; Tom K. Showal
ter. Charlottesville 1nd.) Journa
Review; Ray Spangler, Redwood
City (Calif), Tribune; William P
Steven, Minneapolis, Tribune; E