The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-15
VENTILATE METHODS
THOROUGHLY
The TRICKS OF ADVOCATES or
sENzoATE OF SODA ARE DIS
CLOSED BY MAGAZINES.

ats use as IooH pTtSeTNallN4 were
resorting t0 desperate methods To mis-
lead the public in regard to the facts
in the case. These methods have been
ventilated In the newspapers and mag
azines one putting the case: The
same folks who faint your food are
trying to faint your news" one of
the methods utilized is for a press
agent in New York To- write articles to
the newspapers under fictitious
name, posing as a scientist interested
in the matter from purely scientific
standpoint. Another scheme was edi-
toriaily exposed in the Outlook last
month as follows: And, finally, the
manufacturers who believe sincerely i'm
the right and propriety of their use OF
benzoate of soda are not really doing
their cause good by some of their
methods OF creating public opinion.
An organization bearing the high
sounding title of the National Associa-
ton for the Promotion of Public
Health. and purporting to be a philan-
thropic and public-spirited society, is
really maintained as an advertising or
press agency by some, at least. of the
manufacturing group which use ben
zoate of soda. This press agency re-
Gently submitted to The Outlook for
publication an article by Il physician,
which, under the gpise Of charitable
appeal for poor children suffering from
infantilc paralysis, was a thinly dis
guised advocacy of the use of benzoate
Of soda in preserved foods. The out
look, of course, declined the article.
and II can hardly be said that its con-
fidence in the commercial advocates of
benzoate of soda was greatly increased
by the incident"
Ii was not until a few days ago,
however, that Washington had dem
onstration of how far they would go
In attempting to mislead the public
through the press. and so skilfully was
the ''plant' prepared that it is no
wonder that even so thoroughly relia-
BILE and irreproachable an organization
as the Associated Press fell for it.
on october 9 the trustees of the
American Institute of Homeopathy
met in Washington to consider matters
pertaining exclusively To that organi-
zation. They adjourned that evening
and most of them left the city. That
night a man of eminently respectable
appearance called at number of
newspaper offices. among others the
Washington office of the Associated
Press. In his hand he carried a num-
Der OF copies of statement. and on
one of them appeared the 20. X" of
DIR. j. RitChey Horner of Cleveland,
secretary of the board. Whether in
or otherwise, he conveyed
To the Associated Press representative
the idea that he was DIR. Horner. and
on the strength of this the Associated
Press carried a dispatch which began:
"characterizing the action of the
American Institute of Homeopathy
recently in condemning the use of ben
zoate of soda as preventative as hav-
ing been too 'hasty,' the trustees of
the association. which met here today.
adopted resolution recommending
that the institute. at its next annual
mt citing, reconsider its step" Con-
til. uing. the dispatch quoted DR.. Hor-
ner. the representative of the AssO-
ciated Press being under the belief
that he had talked with DIR. Horner.
AT the office of Il Washington news
paper the same party showed up. and
as result of his visit an article ap-
peared the next morning stating that
the trustees took n hand in the ben
zoate of soda controversy by unani-
mnusly adopting resolution asking
the next annual meeting of the insti-
tute To reconsider the action of the
national gathering in Detroit last
June condemning the use of benzoate
as preservative. The names of the
,siN
toned that two had Travelled across
the continent to attend the meeting,
the inference being that they had come
To vote on the benzoate of soda reso-
luton. 1t is unfortunate that neither
the Associated Press dispatch nor the 7
article i'll the local newspaper was
true. \ resolution asking the institute +
Ia reopen the question for further con-
was presented to the board, !
but instead of being adopted "unani- /
or any other way as was rep
resented by the party conveying the
TO the press. il was re-
ferred 10 the committee on resolutions, /
4 point of order having been made .
against il by DIR. j. b. Gregg Curtis !
ef Washington, that the trustees had .
net to consider others matters, and
hat the benzoate of soda controversy +.
had no place in their deliberations. /
This was confirmed by the stenog- +
'anher who reported the meeting, DIR.
". q. Forbes of Hot Springs. Ark.
md DIR. Curtis. DIR. Horner was in
erviewed oyer the long-distance tele-
'hone. and denied that he had visited
he Associated Press or given anyone
he right To use his name as authority
or statement that the board had
adopted" the resolution. which. he
aid. was referred to the committee on
DIR. Curtis is the chair
nan of the committee designated by
he institute To present the condemna-
DRY resolutions to President Taft
lie has done 81, and will see President
Taft about them on the latter's return
u the city.