The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-15
HAMILTON HOLT
 GIVESLECTURE
Subject Is "Commercialism
 and Journalism"
DISCUSSES PEACE
Editor of The Independent Lectures in High School Lyceum Course. Explains How Advertiser
 Tries to Control News

Explains How Advertiser
 Tries to Control News
 Hamilton Holt leetured on "Commer- cialism and Journalism in the Lyeeum course at the High school last evening. MT. Holt is editor of the Independent, president of the American Peace congress at it's Baltimore assembly last spring and guest of this city last January, when he spoke on Peace
 He declared that the failure to ratify the peace and arbitration treaty now pending between the United States. France and England was mistake, and he urged the audience to use their in fiuence towards inducing church, civic and political organizations to pass reso- lutions requesting the Alabama senators to cast their vote in favor of this docu- ment and pronounced it the most vital question before the American public.
 Sydney J. Bowie of this city presented MT. Holt and in his introduction referred to the former visit of the speaker to this city and his power in the peace cam paign. Continuing the thought embodied in the remarks made by MT. Bowie Mir. Holt spoke for a few minutes upon the necessity of this city seriously consid- ering the importance of having the sen ators from this state poll a ballot that would not count for the defeat of the treaty.
 This is the most critical time in the history of the peace movement" said MT. Holt, and even one senatorial vote may lose what years could not regain for the ending of all war and allow the reactionary forces to get control, build large armaments until the nation begins to feel the drain of this expense. This proposed treaty, which England and France have agreed to sign, which will give The Hague tribunal complete juris- diction over international disputes, means a going forward of a generation and is one of the greatest forerunners of world wide peace and arbitration that has yet loomed into view. Germany, more is the wonder, has declared that she will open negotiations for such a treaty and I have just returned from Japan, which country
 
 tration contract once this pending bill is passed. The treaty giving unlimited arbitration and making 1t imperative that the nations involved carry their troubles to The Hague court instead of to the battlefield, will bring about a condition that will undoubtedly lead other coun- tries to follow their example.
 T,ro "The votes of two senators defeated the English treaty introduced during the administration of President Cleveland, and if the people throughout the United States could only grasp the potentiality of acting now in urging their senators to vote for this treaty, it would surely pass Alabama would be sorry if the only opposition voted should be cast by her two senators, whom I understand are not in favor of this bill, as would be any other state of the union. If, through your church bodies, commercial organ izations and political unions you can in- fuenee your senators, I beg of you to do so at once, for the time will be soon past when your efforts can avail any thing, if the die has once been east against it."
 Launching upon his scheduled theme, commercial and Journalism" the editor of the Independent discoursed upon the various methods employed by the press agents of the histrionic Jefferson, politi- cal campaigners, religious associations and many other corporate bodies that have established publicity department. Mir Holt disclosed many humorous incidents connected with fabrpatfop ,fac ed and perpetrated upon the newspape reading public by ingenious press agents through an unsuspecting editor and how many times adverse criticism had been invited through the editorial columns that twice as much advertising could be given a matter through reply Than it could secure otherwise.
 That the American press is daily sep arating itself from party allegiance and becoming politically independent is one or the best signs of the times but the coming commercial journalism is certain and Will l hope, experience a pulling away from this just as it did in political affairs" said the speaker.
 None of our papers are subsidiary to to the government as in many of the Eu- ropean countries and many of them have refused advertising of patented medicines or other odbjectional matter that would
  as much as their papers were worth In speaking of the average advertising must say that it is reliable, dependable and sets forth nothing that on the face of 1t would be misleading to the most eau tious reader Aside from the usual stock phrases of the cheapest in the market and best on the market, the advertise ments of the modern press can be used as guide in making mail orders nearly as effectively as standing before the
 Clerity of News
 "The clerity of news gathering Is one of the wonders of the age. It is in the col lecting of the news of lesser importance that the yellow streak crops into journal ism. The things of minor importance are given scare head top liners and papers all over the country are coming to rSn more into headlines as a result. The yell low press is here to stay because it serves yellow people and l only hope that these persons don't remain yellow always, for when a man begins to think so you can't count on where he is going to stop after he starts thinking. The yellow press, while not decreasing very much in circu- lation is losing it's political hold upon the voting pOpuaee. The monthly and week. ly periodicals have gained the control of political moulding from the dailies as they have national circulation and are not given to localism as the daily neces- Sarily has to do. The monthly and week. 1 ly have been prime movers in many of the | reforms of the world. The most de- | noralizing advertising is that of the loan sharks, clairVoYants and votares of ad-