"A Disgusting Lie"

"The article in TIME magazine about the President of Chile may have been based on imperfect information and erred otherwise. . . . But a 'disgusting lie' is an accusation of outright, deliberate falsehood. TIME hardly needs any defense from such an accusation even though it issues from the White House."--Boston Herald.

"It was unfortunate that just before his death an American magazine, TIME, printed an article about the President that Chileans considered an affront. . . . We trust that the people of Chile will accept Roosevelt's apology for the article. . . ."--Philadelphia Record.

"Personally we could detect no malice in the TIME story. . . . When the President apologizes to another Government for something appearing in an American periodical, he makes himself in a way responsible for the contents of that periodical, now and henceforth. Is this the beginning of some new kind of streamlined, unofficial censorship of the press by the President? . . ."--New York Daily News.

Occasion for this editorial debate was the President's unprecedented action last week in apologizing to the Government of Chile for an article in the Nov. 17 issue of TIME.-In terms that correspondents recognized as a new high in Rooseveltian criticism of the press, he opened his Tuesday press conference by saying:

"The Government of the United States has been forced to apologize to the Government of Chile for an article written in TIME magazine--a disgusting lie which appeared in that magazine . . . a notable contribution to Nazi propaganda against the United States . . . another illustration of how some American papers and writers by such methods are stocking the arsenals of propaganda of the Nazis to be used against us. . . ."

The President then had copies of his statement distributed and authorized cor respondents to use it in direct quotes. He did not amplify his comments to specify what in TIME'S story he considered false. Twelve days had elapsed between the appearance of the article in TIME and the death of President Aguirre which was the occasion for Mr. Roosevelt's attack.

The story in question was in the nature of a postscript to a number of longer articles (TIME, Nov. 7, 1938; Jan. 9, 1939; Feb. 16, 1939; Feb. 19, 1940; July 29, 1940; Dec. 2, 1940; June 2, 1941; Oct. 20, 1941), in which TIME had recognized President Aguirre as "an honest friend of the working man" and had given him repeated credit for his accomplishments made in the face of a series of political crises. It reported the latest developments, and since President Roosevelt's attack a very careful recheck through many sources has confirmed the accuracy of every statement the article contained.

In a broadcast to South America Thurs day night, TIME said:

"In telling the truth TIME may sometimes offend--and for this TIME is deeply sorry. Only recently a brief article in TIME became an international issue when death gave it an unintended significance. TIME especially regrets any offense to the sensibilities of its friends in Latin America-resulting from this article. But honest, factual reporting on events in every part of the world is essential if the people of the Americas are to help guide the destinies of their nations."

A letter which TIME sent by air mail to all its subscribers in Chile on the same day is reproduced on page 57 of this issue.

* The full text of the article: "For weeks the head of America's only Popular Front Government, Chile's President Pedro ('Don Tinto') Aguirre Cerda, has been on an uneasy seat in Santiago's grey, pillared Moneda Palace. Struggling for power have been members of the President's own Radical Party, Communists, Rightists, Germanophile Army officers.

''While the Popular Front swayed, bush-mustached President Aguirre felt more & more like a man who does not govern but merely presides. He spent more & more time with the red wine he cultivates. Fortnight ago he was reported ill.

"This week his journalistic enemy, El Impartial, called for a medical bulletin to allay 'public anxiety.' Don Tinto issued a political bulletin. He announced his temporary retirement on account of bronchitis and grippe, by law turned over his powers to Minister of the Interior Mendez."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.