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Geneva, September 1st, 192
COlQW^iCâ Or
üœüHTS
cLObiMG- bpascH Qii1 n:.^ presided,
LOKL BUP.HH.-i:
;•/e have now cose t o t h e end o f our "business and I am
glud t o s a y t h a t t h e I g e n a a p a p e r has been c o m p l e t e l y c l e a r e d
up.
I t i s p o s s i b l e to u s e a w e l l - w o r n t a g o f L a t i n and say
"finis c o r o n a t o p u s " .
T h is i s t h e more s a t i s f a c t o r y b e c a u s e I have
entirely
had to r e l y / on t h e c o u r t e s y and g o o d w il l o f t h i s ass em bly, and I
have had no p o w e r s , e x c e p t such a s a r e i n h e r e n t i n c h a i r m a n s h i p by
the laws o f n . t u r e , t h e a u t h o r o f which, a s we a l l know, was t h a t
dermy g e n i u s 3nd c i t i z e n o f Geneva, J e a n J a c q u e s R o u s s e a u .
I
imagine t h a t i n a r e a l s e n s e h i s s p i r i t w i l l hau n t t h e p a l a c e o f
the l e a g u e o f Ma tions u n t i l i t s i d e a l s a r e r e a l i s e d i n a more
s e n s i t i v e c o n s c i e n c e and a more g e n e ro u s s p i r i t f o r t h e g e n e r a l
i n s p i r a t i o n o f human c o n d u c t ,
translation
•This has been t h e f i r s t i n d e p e n d e n t c o n f e r e n c e t h a t t h e
League o f iTations has e v e r h e l d .
By t h a t I mean t h a t a l l t h e
been
[previous c o n f e r e n c e s h a v e / e i t h e r composed o f o f f i c i a l s , or
appointed by governments .
In E n g l i s h p a r l i a m e n t a r y l a n g u a g e we
-re w e l l a c q u a i n t e d w i t h t h e term ’’f r e e c o n f e r e n c e " , and t h i s h a s , in
..every
respect,
been a f r e e c o n f e r e n c e ,
I an g l a d to add that, i t has
p l s o been a f r i e n d l y and f a m i l i a r c o n f e r e n c e ,
B e lo n g i n g as we a l l do
to one g r e a t i n t e r e s t and i n d u s t r y , which consists i n t h e p r o d u c t i o n on
p u b l i c a t i o n o f nows, we have had a bond o f unio n and f e l ï s f â h i p which
has giv e n u s a f a m i l i a r f e e l i n g atpong o u r s e l v e s , i n s p i t e o f a l l o ur
d i f f e r e n c e s o f o r i g i n and o p i n i o n .
We h a v e , t h e r e f o r e , d i s c u s s e d
svery s u b j e c t w i t h which we have d e a l t wi t h t h e i n t e n t i o n o f g e t t i n g
t h i n g s done by t h e good o f f i c e s o f t h e League of H â t i o n s .
T ranslation .
The o r i g i n of t h e C o n f e r e n c e , a s you w i l l a l l r e c a l l , l a y i n
a p r o p o s a l s u b m i t t e d to t h e Assembly o f t h e l e a g u e o f H â t i o n s i n
1925 Toy K . Yanes, d e l e g a t e o f C h i l i , a s k i n g t h e C o u n c il to c o n s i d e r
t h e d e s i r a b i l i t y o f summoning a Committee o f E x p e r t s r e p r e s e n t i n g
the Press in d i f f e r e n t c o n tin e n ts in order :
(I)
To e n q u i r e i n t o means o f e n s u r i n g more
r a p i d and l e s s c o s t l y t r a n s m i s s i o n o f P r e s s
news w i t h a view to r e d u c i n g t h e r i s k s of
i n t e r n a t i o n a l m isunderstanding.
(.2) To d i s c u s s a l l t e c h n i c a l p r o b l e m s ,
t h e s o l u t i o n o f which , i n t h e o p i n i o n o f
e x p e r t s , would be c o n d u c i v e to t h e t rang uti­
l i s a t i o n o f p u b lic opinion in v a rio u s c o u n tr ie s .
The C o u n c i l , a c t i n g upon t h i s r e s o l u t i o n , b r o u g h t
t o g e t h e r s u c c e s s i v e l y t h r e e p r e l i m i n a r y and a d v i s o r y co m mitt ee s
o f news a g e n c i e s , d i r e c t o r s o f P r e s s B ure aux, and j o u r n a l i s t s . I n t h a t way t h e a g e n d a which h a s been b e f o r e t h i s C onfe re nce
was p u t t o g e t h e r i n due form.
I t h i n k t h e C o n fe re n c e would b e a r tpe out i n s a y i n g t h a t t h i s
i s t h e l a r g e s t end most i n f l u e n t i a l p r e s s c o n g r e s s t h a t has e v e r
been b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r .
ii/e have h e r e 63 d e l e g a t e s f 20 a s s e s s o r s ,
and -35 e x p e r t s from 33 c o u n t r i e s , r e p r e s e n t i n g not o n l y S t a t e s
whi-cfh a r e Members and ncn-b!embers
o f the Leagae, but also a l l the
- / c o n t i n e n t s and a l l t h e c a t e g o r i e s o f p r e s s i n t e r e s t s - news1p a p e r p r o p r i e t o r s , news-cigenci e s , p r e s s b u r e a u x and j o u r n a l i s t s 1
so cieties.
I n a d d i t i o n , we have been f o r t u n a t e i n h a v i n g i n
a t t e n d a n c e a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C able s A s s o c i a t i o n ,
and r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e g r e a t B r i t i s h , French and German
newspaper d i s t r i b u t i n g h o u s e s .
I have a l r e a d y s a i d , and I a l s o mentioned i n my opening
spé'ech t h a t t h i s C o n f e r e n c e i s t h e f i r s t i n d e p e n d e n t c o n f e r e n c e
c a l l e d by t h e League of N a t i o n s ;
I sh o u l d l i k e to emphasise '
t h a t p o i r t ag...in h e r e , as I t h i n k you w i l l e l l a g r e e t h a t the
Conference h a s been l e f t a b s o l u t e l y f r e e and u n f e t t e r e d i n any
way w h a t s o e v e r .
I f we r e a d t h e p r e l i m i n a r y d i s c u s s i o n s i n th e
assembly . n d t h e C o u n c i l ,\ye can a p p r e c i a t e t h e ; r ont h e s i t a t i o n t h e t
th ese p o l i t i c a l a u t h o r i t i e s f e l t a s to any s o r t o f i n t e r f e r e n c e
I
w it h t h e l i b e r t y o f t h e p r e s s , and/may say t h a t d u r i n g our
d i s c u s s i o n s t h i s p r i n c i p l e has
been s c r u p u l o u s l y o b s e r v e d .
[Translation.
I s h o u l d l i k e to sa y , and I am s u r e t h a t I s h a l l c a r r y you
with me, when I t e l l you t h a t t h i s Confe re nce has been c a r r i e d
t h ro u g h smoothly and e f f e c t i v e l y owing, f i r s t and f o r e m o s t , t o t h e
good temper and good s e n s e o f my c o l l e a g u e s , who have give n me
th ro u g h o u t t h e encouragement and s u p p o r t w i t h o u t which a l l our
l a b o u r s would have been i n v a i n .
I ask you a l l t o a c c e p t
my g r a t e f u l acknowledgments .
Œhen,I w is h , i n your name, to o £ f e r
our s i n c e r e t h a n k s to S i r S r i c
Drummond and t h e S e c r e t a r i a t o f
th e League o f N a t i o n s f o r t h e c a r e and t h o r o u g h n e s s w i t h which
t h i s C o n f e r e n c e h a s been o r g a n i s e d .
The t h r e e p r e l i m i n a r y
m eetings o f P r e s s a g e n c i e s , P r e s s Bureaux and J o u r n a l i s t s have
r e n d e r e d i t p o s s i b l e f o r u s to co v er so wide a f i e l d o f
i n t e r e s t s i n so s h o r t a s e s s i o n , and I am s u r e we a r e g r e a t l y
o b l i g e d to t h o s e o f our number who dev ot ed so much time and t r o u b l e
to t h e i r t r a n s a c t i o n s .
To t h e o f f i c e r s of t h i s C onfe re nce we a r e
ve-fy much i n d e b t e d fo r t h e i r a b l e and c o u r t e o u s a rrangem ent o f our
^business and f o r t h e c o n s t a n t a s s i s t a n c e and a d v i c e which th ey
. h a v e / g i v e n u s , b o t h i n a n t i c i p a t i o n and d u r i n g our s i t t i n g s .
Lay I add t h a t i n a l l my e x p e r i e n c e o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l a s s e m b l i e s
I have n e v e r known t h e l a b o r i o u s and e x a c t i n g d u t i e s o f t r a n s ­
l a t i o n i n t o t h e two o f f i c i a l l a n g u a g e s so w a l l and a c c u r a t e l y
done a s by Li. La Bo squet and Li. Hat h i eu, t h e i n t e r p r e t e r s of
4 -
our d e b a t e s .
T ranslation.
t h e r e have been t h r e e main h e a d s f o r d i s c u s s i o n and
decision:
facilities;
c o m o u n i c a t i o n s , c i r c u l a t i o n , and j o u r n a l i s t i c
i n o t h e r w ords, t h e c o l l e c t i o n o f news, t h e
t r a n s m i s s i o n o f n e w s , and t h e c i r c u l a t i o n o f news.
P e r h a p s we may b e s t see th e scope o f our e f f o r t s i f we l o o k
a t them from t h e p o i n t of view o f t h e s u c c e s s i v e s t e p s t a k e n by
t h e j o u r n a l i s t i n h i s s e a r c h f o r news, i n i t s r a p i d t r a n s ini s s i on, i n i t s p r o t e c t i o n b e f o r e and a f t e r p u b l i c a t i o n , and,
f in a lly , in i t s increased c ir c u la tio n ,
The f i r s t l i n k i n t h i s c h r i n c o n s i s t s o f t h e r e s o l v e of
t h e C o n f e r e n c e to extend t h e freedom o f t h e j o u r n a l i s t f o r
the f u l f i l m e n t of h i s e s s e n t i a l d u t i e s .
,s r e g a r d s m a t e r i a l ,
f a c i l i t i e s , i t has so u g h t to s a f e g u a r d h i s s t a t u s by making
p r o v i s i o n s f o r t h e i s s u e o f an i n t e r n a t i o n a l i d e n t i t y c a r d , to
a s s u r e h i s e a s i e r p a s s i n g o f f r o n t i e r s by s p e c i a l t r e a t m e n t i n
r e g a r d to p.: s s p o r t s and v i s a s , t o e x p e d i t e h i s t r a v e l l i n g by
r e d u c e d r a t e s on t r a i n s and s t e a m s h i p s , and to r e l i e v e him o f
d o u b le t a x a t i o n .
Ls r e g a r d s h i s p r o f e s s i o n a l
eq u i p m e n t , i t
h as s o u g h t to g i v e him a c c e s s to s p e c i a l c o u r s e s o f i n s t r u c t i o n '
in u n i v e r s i t i e s ,
to open s c h o l a r s h i p s , and to e n a b l e him to s e e
the world under proper a u s p i c e s .
The secon d l i n k i s u n d o u b t e d l y c o m m u n icati o n s.
Mews
can no t b e d e s p a t c h e d i f t e l e g r a p h i c r a t e s a r e u n f a i r l y h i g h and'
te le p h o n ic charges unreasonably r e s t r i c t i v e .
Bany r e d u c t i o n s
h#ve a l r e a d y been made, and t h e c o m p e t i t i o n of w i r e l e s s w i t h
c a b le s i s s u r e ly , i f slow ly, lowering the cost of t r a n s m is s io n .
T h is c o m p e t i t i o n i s bound to have i m p o r t a n t r e s u l t s i n t h e n e a r
f u t u r e , no l e s s i m p o r t a n t th an t h o s e which h a v e a l r e a d y ta k e n p l a c e
In t h e . . i t l a n t i c and P a c i f i c s e r v i c e s .
I u n d e r s t a n d moreover t h a t
- 5 -
a g e n e r a l r e d u c t i o n o f t e l ephone c h a r g e s f o r newspaper
pu rp o s e s i s l i k e l y to t-.:ke p l a c e i n t h e n e a r M a t u r e .
Transi .iti on
The r e s o l u t i o n s p o i n t to many p o s s i b l e means o f i n pro ving t h e methods o f s e n d i n g news-,
fo r i n s t a n c e , by r e g i o n a l
a g r e e m e n t s , by s p e c i a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s p r e ­
v a i l i n g i n t h e Par j a s t , and i n t h e European t e l e p h o n e s y s t e m .
I t can i-lso be done by p e r m i s s i o n to u s e co o es un d er p r o p e r
regulation-
t i u g g e s t i o n s have a l s o been mace for c h eap er c o r r e s ­
pondence by a g e n e r a l r e d u c t i o n o f r a t e s and d u e s , by new
kinds
oi d e i e r r e d m e ssa g e s, and i n t h e r e m i s s i o n o f t r a n s i t and
terminal charges.
S i m i l a r l y . r e s o l u t i o n s have been a d o p t e d f o r
i n c r e a s i n g t h e s p e e d o f communication by e s t a b l i s h i n g new
c a t e g o r i e s o f " p r i o r i t y ” ,nd " u r g e n t p r e s s " m e s s a g e s .
ï--e t a i l ’d l i n k i n t h e c h a i n i s t h e means o f p r o t e c t i n g
11
ews b e f o r e and a f t e r p u b l i c a t i o n a g a i n s t u n f a i r a p p r o p r i a t i b n .
- h i s q u e s t i o n w. s a. r e warmly d e b a t e d than any b e f o r e t h e
Conference rad I t n i n k i t r e p r e s e n t s a r e a l t r i u m p h f o r
j o u r n a l i s t i c s t a t e s m a n s h i p t h a t a unanimous a g r e s s e n t was r e a c h e d
a s u b j e c t o f such v i t a l i m p o r t a n c e .
She C o n feren ce do as not wi si
to e s t a b l i s h any monopoly i n news or p r e j u d i c i a l c o n t r o l o f t h e
s o u r c e s of p u b l i c i n f o r m a t i o n bu t i t does w ish to p r o t e c t a g a i n s t
u n f a i r c o m p e t i t i o n t h o s e g r e a t j o u r n a l i s t i c e n t e r p r i s e s which by
t h e i r i n i t i a t i v e and t h e i r o r g a n i s a t i o n b r i n g t h e w o r l d ' s news a t
g r e a t c o s t o f t im e and s k i l l e d l a b o u r t o t h e u s e o f t h e r e a d i n g
public.
She f o u r t h l i n k i s t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e f i n i s h e d p r o d u c t .
Jhe C o n fe re n c e appro ved o f a c l e a r and c onnected r e p o r t w i t h
recommandât! ons which w i l l ai âen t h e e x i s t i n g system o f p o s t a l
s u b s c r i p t i o n s to new spapers and e n s u r e t h e i r q u i c k e r d e s p a t c h and
®ore e x t e n s i v e d i s t r i b u t i o n a c r o s s i n t e r n a t i o n a l f r o n t i e r s .
- O -v
111 ran e l -.Aion .
L astly,
.s t h e u n d e r c u r r e n t o f t h e .1 s c u s s i on on a l l
,j.e r 5 a.as been t h e m a n i f e s t t i e s i r e to r e c o g n i s e
oi l i ty of t h e p r e s s to t h e p u b l i c and o f t h e
p u b l i c to t..
j
ess.
T h i s a p p l i e s not o n l y i n t h e ■matters
mentioned above i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e d e s i r a b i l i t y of r a p i d
di e t r i b u t i o n , of t h e p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t u n f a i r c o m p e t i t i o n , and
o f a d é q u a t e f. c i l i t i os f o r j o u r n a l i s t s , but a l s o to a n u r b e r of
o t h e r more
5 ;en
r,r ,1 r e s o l u t i o n s as to t h e p a r t and f u n c t i o n s of
t h e p r e s s i n w o rld a f f a i r s .
In a r e a l t h o u g h maybe s t i l l i n an
i n t a n g i b l e way I t h i n k t h e c o n s c i e n c e o f t h e p r e s s has been
sjuicke n s d an d s t i mu l at eel by t h i s g r e n t meet! n g .
and now as to t h e f u t u r e .
^
3 1 our r e s o l u t i o n s w i l l be p a s s e d
to t h e C ounc il of t h e League f o r e x a m in a t io n and r e p o r t , w i t h '
view to i n a e c i a t 3
i c t i o n f o r t h e p u r p o s e of o b t a i n i n g t h e
s a n c t i o n and s u p p o r t o f a l l ô t â t e s .
o f 1 mm eeli a t e i n t e r e s t t o n ew sp apers i n
These are p r a c t i c a l m a t t e r s
11 c o u n t r i e s and t o the
c o u n t l e s s numbers o f t h e i r r e a d e r s who depend upon them for
t h e i r i n f o r m a t i o n and i n s t r u c t i o n i n t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e p r e s e n t
and t h e
-rep aratio n for th e f u t u r e .
On t h e C o n t i n e n t o f Europe
,.11 t h e means o f communication a r e e i t h e r i n Government hands
03; u n d e r Government c o n t r o l .
S i m i l a r l y , i t i s only t h r o u g h t h e
zC.genc;; o f t h e l e a g u e t h r o u g h Governments t h a t such r e f o r m s can be
o b t a i n e d in t a c system o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n as w i l l e n a b l e t h e
d i s t r i b u t i o n o f n ew sp ap ers to be . a c c e l e r a t e d and i n c r e a s e d for t h e
co n-aon ad van t a g e ,
ïr.an s i a t i on .
I s h o u l d j u d g e , h o w e v e r , not only faon s e v e r a l r e s o l u t i o n s
p r e s e n t e d out from a h a t I u n d e r s t a n d to be tits s p i r i t of the
C o n f e r e n c e t h a t you
/ o u i d have re go f u r t h e r .
Let r e th e n
n o t e w i t h c o r d i a l c o n c u r r e n c e a r e a a r k made at t h e b an q u e t a t
- 7 -
siiioh we were so h o s p i t a b l y e n t e r t a i n e d hy t h e S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l , to
the e f f e c t t h c t t h e l e a g u e n e i t h e r e x p e c t e d nor d e s i r e d t h a t t h i s woul
De t h e l a s t P r e s s C o n f e r e n c e to "be summoned a t Geneva.
I
Dm
P ersonally,
s t r o n g l y o f o p i n i o n t h a t . w i t h an i n t e r v a l o f t h r e e o r , a t
most, o f f o u r y e a r s , i t w i l l be a w is e and h e l p f u l c o u r s e to f o l l o w
for t h e C o u n c il to b r i n g t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f a l l t h e P r e s s i n ­
t e r e s t s h e r e p r e s e n t a g a i n to Geneva i n o r d e r to t a k e c o u n s e l t o g e t h e r
on t h e s e and o t h e r i s s u e s of r e a l p i t h and moment i n t h e a f f a i r s o f
the w o r l d ’s p r e s s .
He anw hi le I hope t h a t
the S e c r e t a r i a t o f t h e
I-oague w i l l k e e p i t s e l f i n s y m p a t h e t i c to u c h w i t h t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s
of t h e ne wspap er p r e s s i n a l l c o u n t r i e s which have a t t e n d e d t h i s
C o n fere n c e .
S h a r e a r e no s t e p s backward i n such an o r g a n i c
part o f t h e w o r l d ’ s economy, a n d , a s a w r i t e r once s a i d ,
are unp i t y i n g ", and t h e y a r e l i k e w i s e c o m p e l l i n g .
"consequenc&s
This i s the
f i r s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n f e r e n c e o f t h e newspaper p r e s s t h a t h a s
beep h e l d , and i t w i l l a s s u r e d l y n o t be t h e l a s t .
P u b lic opinion i s ,
government o f men.
i n t h e l o n g r u n . t h e s o v e r e i g n power in this
i s t h e t r u s t e e s of p u b l i c o p i n i o n we pre ssm en
have a hea vy and c o n s t a n t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to our f e l l o w s .
A ll I
can hope and p r a y i s t h a t t h i s C o n f e r e n c e h a s deepened and e n l a r g e d
our c o n s c i o u s n e s s - not a c l a s s c o n s c i o u s n e s s b u t a g e n e r a l
c o n s c i o u s n e s s - o f what we owe t o m ank in d, s t i l l i n t h e making and
re m a k in g , i n g i v i n g such l i g h t and l e a d i n g a s we can to co n co rd and
c o l l a b o r a t i o n f o r t h e common good.