Jewel Preserved

When the National Association of Broadcasters last fortnight considered outlawing the sale of time on the air for religious programs, they compromised on outlawing programs "attacking another's race or religion." No broadcaster needed to be told that the programs in question were the radiorations of the Rev. Charles E. Coughlin, whom not only Jews consider antiSemitic. Since the three major U. S. networks will have nothing to do with Radiorator Coughlin, NAB's hint was directed at the independent stations which still sell him time. Last week one famed independent radioman, President Elliott Roosevelt of the Texas State Radio network, put in a biting 2-c- worth. On one of his thrice-weekly newscasts over Mutual Broadcasting System sponsored by Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corp., Radioman Roosevelt blurted:

"Just what effect the recently adopted code for broadcasters will have on Father Coughlin cannot be foretold. . . . I dislike censorship in any form, but even censorship might not be too high a price to pay if it will help insulate us against the anti-Semitic oratory of the radio priest out in Royal Oak, Mich."

Back smacked a "spokesman" for Father Coughlin: "So free speech must be consigned to the wastebasket--all America must suffer--in order to muzzle Father Coughlin."

But when Emerson and Mutual offered Father Coughlin a chance to talk back on the next Roosevelt broadcast, the radio priest demurred. Said he, it would be "undignified" for him to aid the sale of Emerson products. Then big Mutual offered to put him on at its own expense. Father Coughlin again demurred, explained that Elliott Roosevelt would be taken care of by his "spokesman," Father Edward Lodge Curran of Brooklyn's International Catholic Truth Society, on the regular Coughlin network this week.* Radiomen recalling that Father Coughlin had turned down an invitation to talk on NBC's Town Meeting of the Air on "Americanism" last year, concluded that the radio pries disliked controversy, or--more likely--that ostracism from the major network was too precious a jewel to lose from a martyr's crown for half an hour's free time.

*Said Spokesman Curran: "It is doubtful if Elliott Roosevelt would ever be on the air in the guise of a speaker were he not the son of a President."

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