A Journalist Clarifies His Position

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

It was indeed a disheartening experience to read the CRIMSON'S account of my speech to the Scholastic Journalism Conference in Saturday's paper. Accustomed as I am to the inaccuracies of American reporting, I have seen not a few statements of mine warped and twisted beyond recognition. Your story, however, reached a new low. Frankly, I am at a loss.

I. It was not at the dinner I spoke; it was after the dinner.

II. I at no time considered the formulation of editorial policy per se. As anyone who has the slightest knowledge of the issues involved will know, the formulation of editorial policy is entirely too complicated to be taken up before high-school students by a man of my stature. What I did discuss--and what your reporter, whoever he may be, neglected to mention--was the obligation of a high-school paper to localize its editorial policies. I touched on the manner in which the CRIMSON votes its editorials. But to call this "formulation" policy is both grotesque and cruel. Perhaps if your reporter--who ever he may be--would have asked me to explain the formulation of editorial policy I could have given him some idea of how deep were the waters upon which he was sailing. Unhappily, he slipped out before I could catch his eye.

III. I am at a loss to understand what "presentation" of editorial policy is. Perhaps one "presents" an editorial in the same manner in which one "presents" oneself at court. Or perhaps your reporter--as I am indeed suggesting--has no conception of what this term means. I certainly don't.

IV. It is indeed suspicious that this shameful article discusses (or shreds) my speech as well as the activities of the President of the National Assembly of Togo. I submit, in fact, that your reporter--whoever he may be--did not attend my speech at all, but was in fact at the time I was speaking one of the retinue of this visitor.

V. I will be grateful if the CRIMSON never reports another speech of mine. Sincerely yours,   Joseph L. Featherstone '62