The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-26
PRESIDENT WILSON
PLEADS FOR A
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
Head of Princeton Says That the DC.
cupant of the White House is the
Only Person Who Can Reach
All the People.

S1lJ ICESOH WIN SoA 4kCuSi
All the People.
In responding to the toast "Our
Country and Our Day." at the 125th
annual dinner Of the Friendly Sons
of st. Patrick, at Delmonlco's, New
York City, President Woodrow Will
son, Of Princeton University, created
sohe surprise when he said that there
would be no real benefit derived from
the intermingling of races in this
country until the national newspaper
had been established. He said that
at the present time the only voice
heard by all the people was that OF
the President, that his remarks and
opinions were the only ones printed
by all the papers.
II have travelled around this DUN
try a great deal and have read most
Of the newspapers Of Importance and
I regret to say that as yet we have
no national newspaper" said Presi-
dent Wilson. "All our newspapers
are alike. In opinions very largely
they are bounded by the localities in
which they are published. Every
newspaper, not excepting the great
metropolitan dailies, is provincial.
The only difference between the New
York paper and the country paper is
that the former has more live news to
select from and the latter Is forced
to use press association dispatches to
FIJI space.
1.-THE voice of the President Is the
only one that reaches the people.
His views are published in all the
papers. Speeches and views by men,
bers of Congress are published per-
haps by the papers in their respective
districts, but never get to the general
public. The consequence is that the
Presidents voice is the only n
heard in public affairs. That is why
it is absolutely imperative that we
elect Presidents who have national
thoughts and inspirations. A ma
tional newspaper that would reach
all the people would make for uni
versal intellectual development"
When asked later whether he be-
lieved a national newspaper possible
in this country DR.. Wilson said:
IT believe that conditions make the
newspapers what they are. The con-
ditions in this country are such that
a national newspaper is an impossi-
bility. If an editor started out to
publish a national newspaper in New
York or anywhere else, owing to the
existing conditions I don't believe
that he could carry out his purpose.
Even with unlimited ear and try
Ing to get out an ideal publication
with a national scope, the task, in my
opinion, could not be successfully ac-
complished. I would not know how
to tell him to go about it, as I have
never been a newspaper man myself"
do you think it would be possible
to eliminate local news to get a ma
.ional ~paper?" he was asked.
"No, I don't, especially in New
York. The only place where 1t would
be at all reasonable or feasible to try
the scheme would be in some large
capital like Washington, maybe, and
hardly think that it would be pos
sible there. 1t is impossible to get
national news and the local news, too,
In a paper in this country, because 1t
Is so big.
by a national newspaper I mean
one that publishes all the news Of in
serest from all owe the country. The
focal events in New York are Of so
much interest that the Associated
Press dispatches from elsewhere are
crowded out. I read the country
newspapers for national news, be-
cause their columns a much
wider range, having less local matter
to print.
"As for foreign news, the papers
In this country print practically none
I have to get the London Times to
read the foreign news, and then it Is
a week or so old"
do you believe that a national
newspaper SAlSlS dly WASiC. ~
Wilson was asked.
Yes, I believe the London Times
is a national newspaper. But then,
you see England is a snug little coun-
try and very small as compared with
our great area. London Is the one
great centre of English life as we'll
as the capital of the country. 1t is
fairly simple to make a London paper
national.
But in this country we have so
many centres that there is no one
great capital of all American inter-
ests. AS I said, the President of the
United tSates is the only national
figure. It might be possible to get
I'D such a newspaper in Washington.
but then it would largely be devoted
to politics and national only in that
sense. New York would ~overshadow
it as a news centre, and then we
would get back to the local bugaboo.
No. I don't believe that the scheme is