Evening star., 1951-04-22
Paul |. Marlin Wins
Clapper Award as
Editors End Meeiinq

RSAttVA - AAlW HhVVAhubN
Paul L. Martin, 38, chief of the
Washington bureau of the Gam
nett newspapers, last night won
the 7th Raymond Clapper award
for excellence in reporting the
Washington scene.
Presentation of the award and a
$500 check was a feature of the
closing banquet of the American
Society of Newspaper Editors. Mr..
Martin won the honor with his
series, "The Men Around Tru-
man." published last April.
Dwight Young, retiring presi-
dent of, the society, made the
presentations amid prolonged ap-
plauSe from the editors and their
guests in the final session at the
Hotel Statler.
The five judges, all ASNE mem
bers, chose Mr.. Martins work as
best representing the ideals Of
fair and painstaking reporting and
good craftsmanship" characters
tic of Mr.. Clapper, who was killed
in an airplane accident in the
Pacific during World War II.
News Suppression Blasted.
In the crowded closing hours Of
their three-day session, the edi-
tors were occupied with these
activities:
/. Heard report from their
Committee on Freedom of Infor-
nation blasting both Federal and
District officials for arrogant
suppression of news" and calling
for a Nation-w wide move against
secrecy in Government.
2. Adopted a resolution con-
demning the Peron Government of
Argentina for seizing the famed
liberal newspaper La Prensa land
thereby ending press freedom" in
that country.
3. Heard a report urging that
censorship, in event of war, be di-
rected by an experienced civilian
reporting directly to the President,
and that compliance be voluntary
rather than compulsory.
Jones Elected President.
4. Elected Alexander F. Casey
Jones of the Syracuse Herald
Journal to succeed Mr. Young of
the Dayton Journal Herald as
president of the society.
5.Heard a report from Carroll
Binder of the Minneapolis Trib-
unet report that an attempt to
draft q United Nations pact on
freedom of information had
boomeranged. The project was
backed by the ASNE. but Mr.
Binder said so many nations favor
restrictions that the pact would
be a supressive rather than a
iberating document.
The judges who selected Mr.
Martin for top honors in Wash
ington reporting were Mr.. Jones,
George w. Healy. jr., of the New
Orleans Times -Picayune; Hoke S.
Welch Of the Miami Daily News:
Philip w. Porter of the Cleveland
Plain Dealer, and Carl D. Groat
of the Cincinnati Post.
Martin is War Veteran.
The award was created to COM
melnorate the character and rep
ertorial ability of Mr.. Clapper.
Mr. Martin. worked as a cub re-
porter in Texas and Oklahoma,
and later was employed in Massa-
chusetts and Pennsylvania.
He served four years in the
Army In World War II, enlisting
as q private ana rising to the
rank of major. He has been at
tached to the Washington bureau
of the Gannett newspapers since
194Y.
The Committee on Freedom Of
Information reported that public
officials are issuing ''contemptuous
challenges" to the press and
sources of news "are being
damned at the local, State ano
especially the national level"
The committee said Washing
toms new guiding credo" is thai
it is dangerous and unwise te
let information about Government
leak out in any unprocessed form.
Government officials, it wa;
charged, are propagating the