Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-17
Editorial Comment.
An Open Letter.
(Biddeford Journal.)

Detroit, Mich.
MY Dear Ford: Immersed as you
are In the business of making and SELL
ing automobiles, you may not know,
| though 1t is matter of common
knowledge among newspaper men of
| long experience, that there has never
been time when so many interests
were trying to get something for moth
ing out of the newspapers of the Unit
ed States. 1t would take too much
space to go into all the details of this
widespread campaign for free publici-
", but 1t may be said in passing that
IN the ranks of the campaigners may
De found ali kinds and conditions of
men. They include the promoters, with
their schemes for separating the peo-
pie from their money; the publicity
agents. who furnish daily or weekly
letters. usually more or less readable
ana interesting, but containing cum
nlngly disguised references to some
thing that is making a bid for popular
favor; the manufacturers who assume
that they are granting the newspapers
favor when they permit them to
print descriptions of a new breakfast
whatnot; the theatrical managers and
the moving picture concerns; the pol
itician who wants space to explain
why he should be recognized as a
statesman; the publisher who wants
book reviews, but who never comes
over with the books; the candidate
whose boom needs imitation. and a host
of others, each with his little scheme
for getting free advertising.
1t is not charged that this assault on
the newspapers is evidence of a con-
spiracy. Indeed, ii seems to be actuated
by the belief that the newspaper is
naturally an eleemosynary institution;
that participants in the campaign arc
just as naturally the heaven ordained
beneficiaries thereof, and that what is
of interest to them is of enough gem
eral interest to be printed as news or
matter of valuable information. This,
Mr.. Ford is an entirely erroneous view
of the situation. Some newspapers
may be printed just for the fun of it,
but most of them exist as source of
income for the owners. For this rea-
son, newspaper space has a certain
market value which does not fiuctuate
with the season like the price of eggs
and Strawberries.
Now, to get down to brass taeks,
as your boss upholsterer might say.
the Ford Motor company Of Detroit.
Mich, is now among the most persis-
tent of these campaigners for free
publicity. ItsSiiterature is flooding the
newspaper offices. An employees s
second cousins wife cat can hardly
become a mother without the fact be-
ing noted in detail and sent to the
newspapers as AN instance of the en-
terprise and dIoup-to-dateness of this
great manufacturing concerns business
methods Undoubtedly, this sort of
thing pays, oriyou, as a practical bus
mess man, would not persist in 1t. But
1t is not good business from the news
PAPERS standpoint. If you think it is,
why not support your contention by
giving us one of your 1914 cars? Not
as a reward for anything the Journal
has done for you, but simply as evi-
dence of your sincerity in the belief
that you are justified, on business
principles, in assuming that the news
papers are glad to do what they can
to increase your profits, and TO DO 1t
without money and without price. We
do not really need an automobile, but
we'd strain a point. and accept one in
order to sustain the viewpoint OF the
newspapers and as evidence of belief
in the truth of the wise old saw that
what is sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander.
Hoping that this proposition will ap-
peal to you from the standpoint OF
your own business methods, and wish
ing for you and the whole Ford fam
lily. frorn runabout to town car, all
the success and prosperity you de-
serve, we remain,
Very truly yours,
Editor Journal.
p. S. II you send the car, when it
were done it were well it were done
quickly; for we're willing to pay the
freight. providing the transaction is
closed before the interstate commerce
commission gives the railroads permis-
sion to increase rates 5 per cent. So
ship it f. @. b. Detroit. plainly marked
"Biddeford Maine" and let 'er come