Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-22
| BUSINESS LAID ASIDE
American Publishers Annual
Dinner in New York.
CANADIAN "CANNON" GUEST
Speaker of House of Commons Brings
Greetings.
LETTER FROM WHITE HOUSE
Herman Ridder, New President of the
Association - John Kendrick
Bangs Relates Experiences.
ETTER FROM WHITE HOUSE

last night with the 800 or more members
of the American Newspaper Publishers AS
ISOLATION who are converting in town this
week. Editors, publishers and others con-
nected with the publication of newspapers
were there from various parts of the
United States and Canada and filled every
seat in the grand ball room of the Wal
dorf-Astoria. Their wives and daughters
filed the boxes, around which were draped
the stars and stripes and the bars of Eng
land. Souvenirs in the form of pins on
which were the Canadian coat Of arms were
distributed among the diners
Herman Ridder, editor of the Stats
Zetung, who was elected president of the
association in the afternoon, gave way
after a few preliminary remarks to ST.
Clair McKelway, editor of the Brooklyn
Eagle, as POSTMASTER and from that time
on till midnight Mr.. McKelway was busy
introducing the speakers. At the right of
Mr.. Mckelway sat Stephen O'Meara, police
commissioner of Boston and formerly editor
and proprietor of the Boston Journal, and
at the toastmaster's left Sir Charles MARCEL,
speaker of the Canadian house of commons.
Others at the table of honor were the
Rev. DR.. Frank o. Hall, pastor of the
Church of the Divine Paternity; John Ken
drick Bangs, who divides honors with Sim
con Ford as the village jester of Rye; Lang
don c. Stewardson, Gen. Stewart L. Wood
ford, Col. James Lynch of indianapolis,
James j. Freel. president of the Interna-
tional Stereotypers and Electrotypers'
Union, and Col. Milton McRea head of the
Scripps- McRea League.
The Presidents Letter.
The new president. Herman Ridder, said,
as he relinquished his post in favor of Mr.
McKelway, that lie had number of let
tiers on hand but that he would read only
one-that from the President of the United
States. Before Mr.. Rider could begin the
brief note. however. he ed nv
applause that greeted the name of Mr.
Roosevelt and the singing of the Star
Spangled Banner" The letter was as fol-
lows:
Pray express to the guests at the
twenty-firSt annual dinner of the Amer-
can Newspaper Publishers Associate my
regret that | am unable to be present with
them and my cordial good wishes for their
prosperity"
The letter was followed by a rising toast
drunk to the distinguished letter writer.
and then Mr.. Ridder introduced our
friend, poet and philosopher, ST. Clair Nc
Kelway.''
Mr.. McKelway said that he had received
instructions to be brief ana that he should
enforce brevity among the five speakers
of the evening Qaughter)
There are only two hours to be devoted
to the speaking" said Mr.. Mckelway, and
so l warn the speakers that if they are not
brief 1t will be long time before they are
heard here again. Those among the men
who will address us this evening should
remember that if they hope for immortal
ity hereafter they must not be eternal to-
night
Publisher a Necessity.
Mr.. Mckelway compared the editor and
the publisher in humorous fashion, and
said that the editorial side of the newspaper
profession has developed less than the pub
fishing department. The differences be-
tween the editor and the publisher are
said and spread. piniOns and opinions: the
editor speaks to the race, the publisher for
rates and space. Nevertheless the pub
Usher is a necessity, especially when pa
per is sold for one cent
Sir Charles MARCEL was then introduced
as man English by training ana Irish
by his better half; not the Joseph Cannon
of the Dominion exactly, nevertheless the
speaker of the house of commons In
honor of the Dominion and our guest"
continued the toastmaster, Il suggest that
We now sing God Save the King'-to the
tune of America ."
Sir Charles thanked his hosts after the
singing of the first verse and then said in
part:
ALLOW me to state that l am not vain
enough to imagine that your enthusiasm is
provoked by a desire to do honor to a fell
low craftsman. / interpret it in large
measure as token of friendliness and
sympathy for the north country from which
come, and for the Canadian members of
the great profession to which we all be-
long.
we arr al euSdSeu III theS reat work OF
modern times-the extension of civilization
by the diffusion of knowledge and the
breaking down of prejudices to the remotest
ends of the earth. Today more than any
other time, it may be truly said that the
newspaper is torch, nay, a pillar of fire,
and where it exists there is light, and
where there is light progress follows in it's
wake. On behalf of Canadian pressmen 1
extend to you all, and through you to the
press of the United States. a message of
sympathy and good fellowship
The Canadian Press.
The speaker then told of the progress Of
the press in the United States and Canada,
especially in his own country during the
last twenty-five years. The leading pub
locations of the United States were read ex-
tensively in the dominion, said Sir Charles,
and he hoped that the day was approach
Ing when the prominent Canadian papers
would be read quite as much here.
The relations between Canada and the
United States have been improving for some
years." the speaker went on, and today
are better than they have been at any time
in our common history. No suitable occa-
sion is allowed to pass in Canada today to
testify to the friendliness of the people for
the people of the United States"
John Kendrick Bangs said that after
hearing God Save the King sung in the
Waldorf and all the praise of Canada from
Sir Charles, he felt regardless of the time
limits set by Mr.. McKelway, that the
eagle now had a right to scream as long
as it pleased. Mr.. Bangs told of his own
troubles while editor ot various publica-
tions, with managing editors, who often be-
came great nuisance around his edf-
tOrial desk that he had to discharge the
publisher, managing editor and the entire
plant of the paper-at least separate them
FRI oil