Press Experts Committee
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[Distributed to the Council and the C. 399. M. 140.1926. Members of the League.] C. E. P. I. LEAGUE OF NATIONS Geneva, June 29th, 1926. DOCUMENTS relating to the preparation of the PRESS EXPERTS COMMITTEE (Resolution of the Sixth Assembly, 1925) CONTENTS. I. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. II. Documents : A. Assembly (Report of the Sixth Committee and Resolution of Sep tember 25th, 1 9 2 5 )................................................................................................................. •} B. Council (Reports adopted by the Council at its Four Sessions of September 1925, December 1925, March 1926 and June 1926)........................ .) III. Annexes : 1. Summary of the Replies received from Various Countries and Inter national Associations................................................................................................................ 2. Table of the Principal Suggestions contained in the Replies. 1 ! 1. INTRODUCTION. On September 16th, 1925, in the course of the general debate of the Sixth Assembly on the W o rk of the Council, the Delegate of Chile, M. Y a n e z , submitted a proposal inviting the Council to examine the desirability of convening a Committee of Experts representing the Press of the different continents. Before taking a decision, the Assembly considered that the proposal should be referred, in accordance with its usual procedure, to one of its Committees for examination, and selected for the purpose its Sixth Committee — the one dealing with political questions. the Sixth Committee requested three of its members — M. Paul H ymans (Belgium), M. de Jouvenel (France), M. Y anez (Chile) — to make a preliminary study of the Chilian proposal. On September 23rd, M. Paul Hymans presented a report which the Committee adopted and decided to forward to the Assembly. On September 25th, the Assembly, after hearing M. Hymans’ report, unanimously adopted a resolution inviting the Council to consider the desirability of convening a Committee oi Experts representing the Press of the different continents. The report of the Belgian representative shows the reception given to the Chilian pro posal by the Assembly and defines the meaning which it attached to it. “ The Chilian proposal ”, said M. Paul H ymans, “ is undoubtedly a bold one. The Press, like all great Powders, is rightly jealous of its independence. We must there fore approach the vast and delicate problem raised by this resolution with great circum spection. I wish to make it clear at the outset that the League of Nations does not wish to interfere in the affairs of the Press, and will only interest itself in them if the jour nalists themselves consider that its assistance would be valuable ”. M. Hymans then indicated the procedure which the Assembly invited the Council to follow in dealing with this question : The resolution.... proposes that the Assembly should invite the Council to consider the desirability of convening a Committee of Experts representing the Press of the different continents. It will therefore be for the Council to decide at the start whether S. (1. N. 1125 (F) 1200 (A) 6-2(i. Imp. d ’AmMJiy, Publications of the League of Nations V. GENER AL <JL ESÎÏONS 1926. 5 it is willing to deal with the question. If it does so, its task in the next few according to the procedure proposed, will merely he to prepare for a meeting of carefully selected experts. When these meet, they will be absolutely free to express theirr opinion on the advisability of giving further effect to your proposal and on the best: method of doing so ” . Finally, the Rapporteur defined clearly the sphere of action of the League of Nations; “ In certain cases ”, he said, " the League of Nations can undoubtedly doo a great deal to assist co-operation betw'een the Governments and the Press. Although an aggre- gate of private enterprise, the Press is frequently obliged to have recourse too various Government services. For example, it depends in a large measure on the Governments for the transmission of news by telegraph, telephone, cable and radio-telegraph ; it also depends in every country on the national legislation in all questions connected with authors’ rights, transport rates, etc. In directions like these, the friendly assistance of the League of Nations might often be of great value”. The Assembly, through its Rapporteur, defined in this way the general nature of the Work to be done, before adopting the resolution proposed to it. From the outset, it ven de finitely excluded from the proposed conference all idea of propaganda on behalf of the League of Nations and any discussion of principles or politics. While leaving it t o the parties concerned to decide whether the meeting of this Committee was desirable and to determine eventually its programme of work, the Assembly pointed out that the League of Nations, which was an inter-Governmental organ of co-operation, could only lend its assis tance and that of its organisations for the examination of technical problems of international importance for the settlement of which Governmental action seemed desirable. This resolution of the Assembly was examined by the Council on September 26th. 1925 . The Council considered that it was advisable in the first place that the circles concerned should be consulted as to whether a meeting of a Committee of Press Experts was desirable, and it asked the Secretary-General of the League to take steps to ascertain their viewrs on this matter. The investigation was conducted on the broadest possible lines and continued until the spring1. The Assembly resolution seemed to arouse considerable interest in all quarters. Press Associations of some thirty different countries responded to the appeal. Several of these, in expressing their approval of the convening of such a committee, submitted with their reply concrete proposals for the future programme of work. At its session in March 1926 the Council of the League, after examining the replies received, decided that the convening of a Committee of Experts was desirable. This question being settled, there remained that of the programme of work. AccordAccord- ingly, at its June session, the Council decided to convene a Committee consisting of)f reprerepre- sentatives of telegraphic agencies who, each from his own point of view, might makeke very useful suggestions. This meeting of representatives of the agencies is only the first phase of the preparatory work for the meeting of the Committee of Press Experts contemplated by the resolution ol the Sixth Assembly. II. DOCUMENTS. A. A ssem bly. Report of M. Paul Hymans and Resolution of September 2bth, 1925. On September 25th, 1925, the Belgian Delegate, M. Paul Hymans, who was appointed 1 by the Sixth Committee to explain to the Assembly the result of its discussions on the Chilian I proposal, read the following report. “ The Sixth Committee has examined with sympathy the proposal submitted by I the Chilian delegation at the meeting of September 16th, 1925. The purpose of this ■ motion is to afford the Press the collaboration of the League of Nations in improving ■ I its technical facilities for assisting in the work of moral disarmament and the organi- ■ t sation of peace. I ' “ The reason for the sympathy with which the Committee viewed the proposal is ■ c to be found in the nature of the proposal itself. Several of the members of the Committee ■ belong or have belonged to the Press ; while, at the same time, the delegates at the ■ i Assembly have been able to appreciate in the course of conversation the interest with ■ : which this motion is viewed by the distinguished journalists at present in Geneva — I and particularly by the members of the Association of Journalists accredited to the ■ i League of Nations. V “ I need not emphasise here the part played by the Press in international life.ife. TheThe 1 newspapers are fundamental to all the judgments which public opinion in each country ■ passes on the other nations of the world. It is for this reason that the Press can exercise ■ a considerable influence in favour of the establishment of better international relations ■ and can contribute more effectively perhaps than any other institution to that moral I disarmament which is the concomitant condition of material disarmament. 1 Sse summary of replies, page 5. The Chilian proposal is undoubtedly a bold one. The Press, like all great Powers, is rightly jealous of its independence. We must therefore approach the vast and delicate problem raised by this resolution with great circumspection. 1 wish to make it clear at the outset that the League of Nations does not wish to interfere in the affairs of the Press, and will only interest itself in them if the journalists themselves consider that its assistance would be valuable. “ I would like to emphasise the fact that the resolution which we have the honour to submit to the Assembly was drafted with the greatest possible care. “ It proposes that the Assembly should invite the Council to consider the desira bility of convening a Committee of Experts representing the Press of the different conti nents. It will therefore be for the Council to decide at the start whether it is willing to deal with the question. If it does so. its task in the next few7 months, according to the procedure proposed, will merely be to prepare for a meeting of carefully selected experts. When these meet, they will be absolutely free to express their opinion on the advisability of giving further effect to your proposal and on the best method of doing so. “ If during this preparatory period the Council discovers that steps are being taken in the same direction by private organisations, it will 110 doubt take the view that it should not substitute itself for these organisations but should rather encourage and co-ordinate their efforts. “ In certain cases the League of Nations can undoubtedly do a great deal to assist co-operation between the Governments and the Press.