New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-18
MIR. Whitelaw Reid
sI7cAL MOMENTS IN HIS CAREER AS MANAGER AND EDITOR.
copyright 1912. BY George W. smaIoyJ

Iioh was equally plain to him.
! emphasize this point and dwell on it
/ because, although it concerns me- it
puts Mr.. Reid in a place by himself as
Manager Of a great newspaper. lie
was the one and only Manager in all
the United States VINO grasped the stu
atIon. He stood absolutely alone His
vision. his courage, his genius, were his
ana his only. Can there be a finer
tribute to him? In the conduct of the
business which at that time was the
chief business Of his life he overtopped
ana outstripped every contemporary.
He had no rival. He was i'm a class
by himself. Next after the civil War.
the Franco German War was the great
event Of that generation. Within a
month after it began The Tribune. like
Mr. Reid, had no rival
Nor had it in respect Of war news a
rival in Europe. The first European
war letter ever telegraphed i'm fun TO
newspaper was telcgraphed to London
for The New-York Tribune. When
Sedan was fought, The Tribunes six
column account Of ii was published in
New York two days before any mar
rative. except a brief summary Dor
rowed from The Tribune. was published
i'm any London or any European jour
nal or. OF course, any American jour
Of .
Metz cabled from London to The TriJ-
une was the only account As it ap-
peared, under an arrangement on
which much might still be said, i'm The
Daily News" of London. il was sup
posed in London to be Archibald
Forbes's, and The Daily News" reaped
The European credit for what WIS
solely The Tribunes
The cost of all this was enormous
Never before had money been spent on
war news so lavishly Our cable bills
for three days in September, including
dispatches brought TO London from
( both Prussau and French headluar-
tiers. and including the Declaration OF
the Republic in Paris. September 1,
amounted TO near $4,000 In those
days such AN expenditure was unneard
Of. Mr.. Reid took it as matter Of
course. Other expenses perhaps dou-
bled IT, He never criticised never
asked whether it was not feasible %
economic. lie knew that a great rep
utation as news journal was not to
De won without great cost. IT was in
the days work, and he accepted it az
such
Y knew the pride he took in The Tgib-
une's achievements. know We'll ie
would like them to be recollected now
and remembered forever hereafter
The Journalist in him was never
quenched in the Ambassador lie has
q unique record I'm both characters
should he untrue % him If / did not
pint one by the side Of the other.
. Whether the public is much impressed
by such service / do not know. But
Reid cared, and cared deeply. Tor
the opinion Of the profession. The
Judgment Of his colleagues in journal
ism was as precious 10 him as the
judgment Of his colleagues in diplo-
macy. or in other great affairs Of any
kind. politics. business. no matter
what He sometimes s3id he should
like the record OF his life and work
i'm The Tribune office TO Ice az complete
O..
day IS not complete. nor anything like
it; even with reference to this one mat
ter. But l hope it is complete enough
to 90 him some justice.
ON one other Of his high qualities as
editor will say word. though again
am concerned: or because / am con-
cerned since ] am therefore the best
witness My aim rs TO write Of things
know. II other men viii write about
things they personally know concern
ing Mr. Reds prodigies Of endeayOr
and accomplishment in this great pro-
fcesion the true measure of his genius
will presently be understood For in
such cases particulars are almost more
than generalities. What have now TO
saw touches his greatness as Editor,
properly so called. 1t was a burning
question at the time. II it be much
less 50 now the story may perhaps be
told without stirring once more the
fierce passions OF those days. I mean
! Home Rule for Ireland in 1856 and
following years.
The Tribune in those tumultuous
DAYS was for Home Rule. The magic
Of Mr.. Gladstone's name prevailed, not
only in newspaper offices but with the
/ American people. other reasons there
we're including perhaps the Irish vote
in America. but, whatever the reasons,
Of the fact that American sympathies
were with the Irish Nationalist there
was no doubt. / did not believe in
I Home Rule and when | wrote Reid
that | could not support cause In
which did not believe his answer was
again what II had been about war
news: Use your own Judgment l
therefore wrote and cabled day by day
and week by week for months and
wears I'm open conflict on this question
with The Tribune itself, but with the
10. tho perD1{oeion nf tho