The Press: A. P. in Court

One of the most important legal cases in the history of the American press—is the Associated Press a monopoly?—finally reached court last week. On the expediting court bench sat three of the country's top-rank jurists, all of the U. S. Circuit Court: 1) learned Judge Learned Hand, 71, a remarkable stylist, liberal, a truly brilliant judge; 2) his cousin, Augustus Noble Hand, 73, singularly gifted with horse sense; 3) Thomas Walter Swan, 65, longtime (1916-37) dean of Yale's law school.

Before this trio of legal eagles in Manhattan, the Government brought its dreaded...