Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-22
IA. P. Directors
Blast U. 5. Ban
On China Visits

NEW 1Orth, April 20 tHJ.-
The Board of Directors of the
Associated Press said today
qualified newsmen should be
allowed to report flrst-hand
from the mainland of China"
Commenting on the State De-
partment's refusal to permit
United States newsmen to travel
to Red China. the board told the
annual meeting of members of
the Associated Press, worldwide
news cooperative:
1.-The most noticeable gap in
our coverage. and one that has
caused much controversy, is
Communist China.
I'VE were invited by the Chi
nese, along with others. to send
Ia reporter into the country.
The United States Department
Of State refused permission and
threatened serious sanctions.
"The Associated Press disagree
ed with the governments action
and the board at this time states
again that it believes Qualified
newsmen should be allowed to
report first-hand from the Main
land of China"
The directors observed that,
despite the ban. the APP did get
first-hand reporting from China
by commissioning a Canadian
newspapermap to make a tour
Of the country" He was David
Lancashire, who wrote a series
of articles and illustrated them
by his own photographs.
Newsmen have protested that
the travel ban infringed on the
right Of people in the United
States to know. through theil
own reporters, about conditions
in China. Secretary Of State
Dulles said recently that he and
President Eisenhower have con.
sidered dropping the ban, but
have failed to find a formula
for doing so.
In its annual report to the
members today, the Board of Di-
rectors discussed news and photo
coverage during the year and
said the AP "again produced q
superior news report"
1 Tho directors said I'VE have
continued to encounter prob.
lens on the domestic scene, a.
well as roadblocks abroad, In
the day-by-day efforts to cut
through varying kinds of re.
striction and censorship"
They said there has beer
. some improvement In coverag,
the AP is allowed to provid,
from Communist dominated
areas.
I'm Poland we again have {
regularly assigned staff CORE,
spondent" and 'in Czechoslo.
!, vakia. the AP has been abb,
: to send in staffers from othel
European countries for brie
lperiods." the directors said
There was mo major change" il
Russia. where the AP has tw,
: regularly assigned correspond
ents.
> The directors said the AP "ha
carried an unusually exactin
, burden of responsibility in re
porting the news Of the world
, and has discharged its obliga
tons in our best tradition"
They noted that the Sue
crisis. the Hungarian uprising
the political campaign and gen
= eral election at home. and fer
ment In the Middle East wer
! among the years news events.
. Observation-Disclosures ha
been a major continuing domes
tic story" the board said. "Thi
subject IL highly charged wit
emotion and AP coverage under
goes unusually close scrutiny b
editors in all parts of the countr,
|, While there naturally has bee
some criticism. most of 1t az
q peared unjustified.
: THE board feels that tn
o coverage generally has met OF
6 high standards. APP staff mem
bers have done more first-perso
reporting on this story than an
n in a long time. 1"
j. Substantial expansion Of A
|, Operations during the year Wa
/ reported.
: News and newsphoto service
r Of the Associated Press shove
: increased participation in mol
It than 70 countries outside ii
United States" the board sail