Show 0 Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart National Press Building Building- Washington D D. D C C. Washington Observers Observers of ot affairs in the national capital frequently get a different Dr High slant on state state- Predict Predicts ments by close advisers of the President or activities of those on the Inside than persons living at distances from Washington They are less likely to be misled in their conclusions as to the meaning of ot such statements or actions come comens as ns they may from high sources than others not closely in touch But even this close contact by observers observers observers ob ob- servers here does docs not always produce produce pro pro- duce for them a definite finality on their conclusions because some things are simply impossible of proof The above statements are by way of directing attention to the inability inability inability ity of the corps of ot correspondents here to tell whether Dr Stanley High was speaking with the approval al or even the acquiescence of ot President Roosevelt when Dr High voiced the opinions in Liberty Magazine Magazine Mag Mag- azine recently to the effect that Mr Roosevelt is in a mood nood to discipline pline plane the newspapers of the countr countr countr coun- coun tr Dr High to summarize many words in his magazine article rather rath rath- er forecast Mr Roosevelt in his new term of office will not abandon his liberal policies but probably will chastise his enemies less than occurred occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc during his first term term except except the press Certainly Dr High gave us all reason to believe that Mr Roosevelt Roos velt is pretty much disgusted disgust disgust- ed ed with certain types of newspapers in this country and that he may maybe maybe maybe be expected to crack down on them The consensus among the writing fraternity in Washington is that Dr High has an opportunity at least to know the Presidential mind He has virtually lived with it during the thelast thelast thelast last six months and there can be beno beno beno no doubt that he had opportunities during il that at time of talking formally and informally with the Chief Executive Executive Exec Exec- in a manner not permitted more than a few persons On this basis if it on no other one would be led to believe that Dr High was writing in a sense a reflection of Mr Roosevelt's thoughts yet as I Isaid Isaid Isaid said at the beginning none of us can be s sure re While Dr High definitely is In a position as as an adviser to the President President President dent to know the trend of Mr Roosevelt's mind he was delightfully delightfully delight delight- fully general in the discussion of the Presidents President's future program except except ex ex- ex as to the press Again it may maybe maybe maybe be be much ado about nothing So many of or the Presidential Presidential advisers advisers and insiders have been writing and talking and acting in the last three years that it is difficult to tell which I is the real story It may be therefore there there- fore fore and and I believe this Is the best answer that answer that D Dr High has has' turned loose a toy balloon If this balloon is blown the wrong way by comments comments comments comments' com com- ments ments' from the nation you probably ly will will hear no no more about a discipline discipline discipline dis dis- for the press If the comments comments comments com com- ments are friendly another story may be expected and its nature is isn n not t now to be forecast Assuming now that Dr High has faithfully presented the Presidents President's thoughts on th the Hit Unfair newspapers of the Journalism country it se seams ms en entirely pro proper per that the suggestion be examined from the viewpoint of wel wel- fare Dr High to be sure surd clear in his article that th Presidents President's efforts to reform the press press' will be addressed only donly to newspapers which engage in color their new news or are guilty of ot unfair journalism I 1 believe that the vast maj majority riy of our newspapers properly are Jealous of ot the integrity integrity integrity integ integ- rity of ot their I 1 believe that the vast m majority of ot our editors regard regard regard re re- re- re gard the responsibility 1 of ot leadership leadershIp leadership leader leader- ship as something quite sacred and not to be bet tainted In the same breath that we mention the Presidents President's purported thoughts and the attitude 4 of most newspapers one cannot help but recall that at least three- three fourths of all newspaper circulation circulation circulation tion in the recent Presidential campaign campaign campaign cam cam- was opposed to President Roosevelt's re Thus and in view of these circumstances circumstances circumstances cir cir- it may be disconcerting disconcert disconcert- ing to a good many people to read the strong language that Dr High has used In reflecting the Implications implications implications of the Presidential mind To that school o of thought the Doctors Doctor's language If it It means anything I means that Mr Roosevelt proposes i Ito to take steps directly or indirect Indirect- indirectly IlY ly to make the entire press of I America conform to his ideas of what constitutes fair lair journalism I In In other words if it their Interpretation Interpretation interpretation tation of the High article is correct there can be intimidation of the press from rom the White House The intimidation could come from Presidential tongue lashing of ot newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers or any anyone one individual newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper which the President believed was guilty of ot unfair journalism The net result of such a course course naturally would be a fearful tearful press and a fearful tearful press obviously never has presented and never will pres present pre pre- s sent nt its impartial judgment it will never answer back and It probably will never fight out the issues in which it believes and to which It may have been committed there there- I do not defend unfair newspapers newspapers pers and I do not believe anyone else can defend them Newspapers because of ot their position as leaders must conform to the maximum of ot honesty I think however that the number of unfair journals is declining declinIng declining de de- clining because public sentiment gradually drives them out of busi busi- ness If Mr Roosevelt actually hasin hasin has has' hasin in mind the things presented by Dr High then a wave of resentment resentment resentment resent resent- ment is likely to arise and that wave of ot resentment in Use Itself will not help in the movement to drive out unfair newspapers At least that thatis is the conviction that seems to prevail prevail pre pre- vail among the several hundred capable observers here in Wash Wash- ington Only a few tew as far tar as I Ican Ican Ican can discern believe that the President dent can get away with the program which Dr High outlined in his behalL be be- halL half Colonel Edwin A. A Halsey secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of the senate recently has had compiled s some o 0 m c Slow to facts and figures Change on proposals s for tor const t u uti t i o 0 n a I 1 amendments that are arc strikingly in in- First the fact that there have been proposals for fOI constitutional constitutional con conn amendments in the nations nation's nations nation's na nn- na- na tion's history and only 21 of them succeeded and became a part of the Constitution is to me most significant It shows very definitely definite definite- ly I believe that our people are slow to make ch changes in the fundamental fundamental fundamental fun fun- law of our country and that they do not make these thes-e changes until there is something approximating approximating approximating unanimity of belief that they are necessary are Colonel Halseys Halsey's compilation disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed the further interesting fact that economic conditions have a direct direct direct di di- link with and reflect rather accurately accurately accurately ac ac- ac- ac the desires of the people to alter or revise the Constitution It seems that when when- there is plenty of work and plenty of profit and the nation is going along happily even few of the demagogues have thought about amending the Con Con- But- But let hard times descend descend descend de de- upon us let there be millions millions mil mU- lions of unemployed and hundreds of ot thousands of persons destitute and forward comes a perfect deluge of proposals to change the Very accurate proof of the above statement is given in the records for the last ten years that is from 1926 1026 to 1936 The most important political question agitating the congress congress congress con con- gress during the first part of this decade was the proposal to change the date upon which the President and Vice President and congress take office Latterly and md after the prosperity bubble burst the depression depressIon depression depres depres- sion brought its own Tn flock fiock of ot proposal pro pro- for changing the tion Colonel Halsey disclosed that there had been 20 proposals which would authorize congress to deal with working hours and wages 7 which would have given congress authority over agricultural production production tion and 9 limiting the power and authority of ot the Supreme court t to declare acts of congress unconstitutional unconstitutional or otherwise otherwIse modify court jurisdiction There were two suggested suggested suggested sug sug- amendments that would have placed in the hands of congress virtual power to control the general welfare weare of the nation The Halsey document also reflects maneuvers of ot various blocs and schools of thought and likewise tells a very clear story of ot our nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's sashay into the field of national national national na na- prohibition National prohIbition prohibition prohibition was a long time in coming and there are arc many who believe that it was forced upon the country too soon That is to say it was made operative before belore a sufficiently large majority of the were in favor in-favor favor of it This seems to be substantiated ed by the figures which show that during the last decade there were proposals for tor repeal of the amendment out of a total of resolutions resolutions res res- for constitutional amendment amend amend- ment In other words had there been anything like the necessary popular majority in favor of prohibition prohibition pro pro- we would have seen very few tew attempts in congress to repeal the liquor control amendment Q Western Newspaper Union |