Radio Commission Holds Hearing on Free Speech

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

The right of broadcasters to censor material to be sent out over the radio was questioned before the Radio Commission yesterday by Morris L. Ernst, counsel for the Civil Liberties Union, who claimed unfair treatment.

There is one station in New York, according to Mr. Ernst, where no Protestant may broadcast on matters pertaining to religion, and Norman Thomas, Socialist, has been denied requests repeatedly to speak to the radio public, he said.

In Springfield, he added, a professor in Smith College went to deliver an address on the policy of the Government in the Near East and was instructed to cut out two paragraphs of his address. Mr. Ernst told the commission Hudson Maxim had not been permitted to make his speech, and asserted that when an editor, Mr. Kaltenborn, criticized the policy of a party he was advised he could have no further facilities for broadcasting.

Reference was made to a speech by William J. Burns, the detective, which was alleged to contain attacks on different organizations in New York. The latter, witness said, were not permitted to reply, although they wished to have speakers, among them Norman Hapgood.

Mr. Ernst insisted the principle of free speech and free press should apply also to use of the radio.

Representative Emaruel Celler recently contended in addressing the commission, that by receiving a license from the Government the radio broadcaster becomes something of a public utility and should deal fairly with all schools of thought. Commissioner Bellows gave an opinion that by exempting from censorship the speeches of candidates for office, the Radio Control act implies that all other matter may be censored by the broadcasting stations. Censorship by the Radio Commission is prohibited.

The Civil Liberties Union counsel suggested that each broadcasting station be compelled to keep a full log of everything happening in its relationship with the public.

Franklin Ford, of station WHAP took exception to conclusions that free speech has been interfered with in decisions preventing Mr. Thomas from making an address through the ether.

“There is no inherent right to any individual,” he said, “whether he be Socialist, such as Mr. Thomas, or anti-Socialist, vivisector or anti-vivisector. Protestant or anti-Protestant, to demand that a radio station broadcast his views because it has previously broadcast against his views as a matter of principle and conviction.”

The commission took under consideration the mass of evidence and opinion it has received at the public hearings conducted this week.

The Yiddish Art Theatre presented “Human Dust”, by Ossip Dymow, author of “The Bronx Express”, on Friday night. Maurice Schwartz played the leading role.