The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-09
WAR NEWS AND ADS ARE DISCUSSED AT
 AD CLUB LUNCHEON
All Speakers Are Optimistic and Unafraid of the War-Statistics Are
 Presented


 terday at the Ad club luncheon at the Shall It Profit Man to Advertise ,n Competition With War News7" The main speakers of the day were A u. Lindsay and Joe K. Saks, but after | these two spoke many others were called upon for views.
 MT. Lindsay represented the news papers side of the case, saying that war news was necessary, and that a newspaper would not be living up to its opportunities if 1t did not carry such news. He declared that the war any effect upon Birmingham and busi-
 ness conditions here. The speaker read some figures which set forth that the street railway company here had hauled but per cent less passengers the August just passed than they car ried the same period in 1913. This, | he declared, was criterion of tho prosperity of the city as a whole He pointed out that Ghere were more peo- pie now employed in the Birmingham district than during the preceding niue months.
 Urges Co-OperatiOn MT. Saks in answer to MT. Lindsay
 stated that there was no one in Bir-
 mingham who believed more thor oughly in the efficacy of newspaper ad- lvertising than did he. He stated that he believed newspaper advertising
 came nearer attaining 100 per cent ef- ficiency than any other form of adver- tsing. MT. Saks complaint was that newspapers devote too much space and
 make too prominent war news. Like MT. Lindsay, MT. Saks was very opti-
 mistic. He said he would like to see the get-together spirit between busi- ness men and newspaper men devel- oped so that both of them would adopt an optimistic tone in the news columns as well as in the advertising. Jerome K. Sterne of Loveman, Joseph & Loeb said that the newspapers were devoting too much time and space and making too much agitation about the present rise in the price of foodstuffs He also brought out the point that news of the war as printed in many cases was unauthentic.
 J. J. Smith, publisher of the Lodger in answer to this, said that the news papers did as well as they humanly could to print authentic reports of wlar Is happening in Europe, but pointed out that when a news item enianates from Paris, it is denied at Berlin and the Berlin report is denied at Petrograd. 1t is impossible for the telegraph editor to decide which is true He also said that when the yer tity of story was questioned 1t waa always printed as a rumor and not af Ia fact.
 l Advertising Manager Low. of EIscE X Sons spoke stressing the importanc> oi optimism, and showing that the gen
 eral outlook made for optimism. 1 Marsh Tells a Story
 C. B. Marsh of Roberts & Son tolt . little story illustrative of point
 that the public should be made to feel optimistic. He said a man he was well acquainted with was sick once upon 6 Itiine, and at the crisis of his illness. q dang erous fire started about a block from his home He could hear the lclanging of the fire engines. the shouts of the firemen and could see the peo- ] rie ushing past his window in crowds He wanted to know what was the matter, but his physician refused to Il only excite him and make his recovery
 less sure. MT. Marsh said that was the situation as regards to the European
 war The public of America wants war
 news. but it is not best that til, y should have it, and he said the news lpapers should not supply them w tn some thing they should not have.s | Herbert J. Baum said that i;. his r.nion there was no occasion for ], war scare in the Birmingham distri !. | tEar of necessity some things would rise in price, but in most cases there was a reasonable explanation for it. He | said that if the citizens of Birming- Imam would compare conditions today lwitn war raging in Europe, with l those of 1907 and 1908, when there was lpeace in Europe. he believed everyone l would be optimistic
 At yasterday's luncheon Fred '. fiul- l bere presided in the absence of Pres | ;S .nt Sparrow who Is visiting frisnJs lin Pensacola.
 | The programme for next week. as Ia,.,.uunced yesterday will be an ad iress from John R. Hornady on the subject l"Clean Advertising
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