Freedom Of Speech

and mr. wilberforce assistant editor the New York Herald Tribune and the american society of newspaper editors mr. Forrest having just returned around the world in the interests of freedom of the press how do the prospects look to you well mr. Chandler if we are to judge by the reactions of editors of newspapers whom I have recently visited around the world they're good however it is ink which must decide whether they are willing to write into the peace treaty they pledge not to censor news at the source not to control the press and radio and use them for political propaganda and agree to permit a free flow of news across their borders many statesmen with whom I have talked have promised adherence to this program others have not but you may be assured that when the Peace trees are being negotiated there will be a concentrated amend for World Press Freedom by editors in most every country the american society of newspaper editors with its membership representing every important newspaper in the United States contends that complete understanding but any other sovereign power is dependent among other considerations on the freedom the abundance and the exchange of news people in other words freedom of nose is a vital element in any lasting peace by control of the press Hitler and his satellites blacked out the minds of the German people and led them bleh into ruinous war and so did Mussolini in Italy that must never happen anywhere you believe that something tangibly can do work out to this end will not be easy can be done there are some 50 nations on earth differing widely and customs religions social economic and political standards while it is unwise to expect too much time has come when there must be an agreement on certain broad principles of human relations which should apply to all peoples having seen two world wars in the single generation world leaders are in agreement on the statements of President Truman if we do not want to die together in war we must learn to live together in peace an attempt in this direction was made in Atlantic Charter formulated by President Roosevelt Prime Minister Churchill stressing the fundamental human rights of freedom of speech freedom of religion freedom from want and clear among these four freedoms voice how do you rank him in first freedom of speech including of course freedom of the press it's my contention that what we may call freedom of expression is really the most important of them all this is because all other liberties depend upon it there can be no freedom of worship without freedom of speech and once a totalitarian regime black freedom of expression there obviously can be no freedom from fear and certainly no freedom from want except on the formula of slavery for instance there was no physical want in free war nazi germany everyone had a job but strictly as a surf or slave of the government that is very true mr. Forrest the history of the world is replete with examples of how the loss of economic political and religious freedom invariably followed the loss of freedom of speech dictators first grasp for education the printing presses radio station and other media free expression of opinion the very obvious reason they cannot stand opposition their program cannot be carried out until they dominate the sources of news of speech and thus the thoughts of men through the ages man struggled to call his soul his own has been largely the story of this fight for freedom of expression and the Magna Carta was forced from the unwilling hands of King John a great step forward is made and when our pioneers came to America freedom of speech was one of their cherished convictions so they wrote into the Constitution these words Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press once this vital Liberty is lost to a people all others such as trial by jury freedom of worship right to own property right of assembly and other sacred pillars of the temple of freedom collapse like a house of cards brings to mind a strong conviction I have long held that the right to own property is a keystone of all these liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights why we know that the hand that closed and feeds a child reserves the right to spank it and when a government owns controls the printing presses the houses of worship it has never failed to dictate how and when they should be used under our system of private enterprise newspapers are dependent for the success of the good will of the people once this has lost their revenues decline and they cannot long continue our press is independent of government which is the people's great protection and so we see at the right of private ownership of property is violence of freedom of speech and also worship this whole subject of freedom of speech is a vital importance to the future peace of the world and re where it is found its highest expression must assume world leadership for I can see little prospect of lasting peace among peoples who are denied this fundamental human right why quite agree with you in little more than a decade the massive totalitarian regime gained complete domination of Education the press radio transmission and freedom of expression of all time and therefore the thinking of an entire people news from outside sources was completely blacked out or worse this started to meet the ends of Nazi propaganda in short every process of thought of the German people was completely controlled and harnessed buying the most brutal fiendish and fantastic policies of the history of mankind in the tragic pattern of this Nazi horror and it's satellite a lie there is a tremendous lusted for every country on Earth it is simply this protect your freedom of speech and freedom of the press at all costs for all your other liberties depend upon you