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ment of State began a thorough study of the question. News reports have indicated that some sort of a statement of national policy has been prepared by the Department and may possibly be announced.
4. The suggestion was made to certain individuals, prior to the Republican and Democratic conventions in Chicago, that the platform committees of both conventions be urged to adopt a plank favoring freedom of news exchange. The resolutions committees of both parties inserted news freedom planks.
5. Having accomplished this, it seemed natural to ask the Congress to declare itself. This was done. The bipartisan response was heartwarming. The concurrent resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
With all this encouragement there is, however, the sobering conclusion that the effort is just beginning. It would be foolish optimism to say that the battle for freedom of information throughout the world has been won.
The principle is vitally important. We have got to search our hearts to see what, as individuals, each of us can do. Certainly, if newsmen have no confidence in what the product they produce can do, the layman is not going to be much excited about it. The approach must be an unselfish one. The objectives must be obtained for all, with full equality as to availability of news at the source, and availability of adequate transmission facilities at uniform nondiscriminatory rates.
rt^ April, 1945
Now, how close are we to a practical accompHshment of this great objective? The principles are well established here, with the press of Great Britain, its commonwealths, and with the servants of this press, namely, the various news services. Though we have gained a positive declaration here from the Congress and acceptance of the principles involved by the State Department, they are not that far along anywhere else. An expression by the British Parliament in terms worded like our congressional resolution would bring to the British press and its great news agency a needed benediction for the new militant idealism of Reuters. This is particularly needed in England because there the great news agency is going it alone, completely separate and apart from the influence of the British Government for the first time in history.
Then someone will ask about Russia and someone will ask about the rest of the inhabited globe. Here is the answer:
Russia never has known freedom of the press as we know it, but the declaration of Moscow drawn up by United Nations representatives, including our Secretary Hull, who took with him to Moscow a year ago my letter to him about freedom of the press, specified a free press for conquered Italy. Indeed, once suggested, Russia insisted upon it. I know your comment could be that Russia is willing to have a free press in every part of the world except Russia.
But how much can we blame Russia? I have been told that the inclusion