Arizona republican., 1917-09-12
Mir. McAdoo and Advertising

Mir McAdoo and Advertising
 We have just received from the publicity bureau the treasury department bulletin relating to the placing before the people of the next Liberty Loan There tentative provision for advertis- ing subscriptions in the manner that a.mer- advertises for customers or any business man advertises for what he wants. A great deal of paper space was devoted to the first Liberty Loan All the newspapers gave it freely the govern ment though many patriotic bankers took space for the Liberty Bonds and paid for it.
 Secretary McAdoo while recognizing the value effectiveness of the newspaper advertising is for the present at least against it's employment by the government. He says:
 The question of paid advertising presents serious problem for the government The value of such advertising cannot be doubted and if the operation could be governed by the same
 sderaton as those which determine the action of private enterprises, it would be much simplified. private enterprise may advertise in a selected number mediums most useful it's purposes, and may control it's expenditures for that purpose without any limitation except its desires ability to pay. If the government engages in such a campaign it advertise in every newspaper and periodical in America without discrimination. all must have equal treatment and should have equal treatment. The government must be thor oughly democratic and Impartial in a of this sort. To make the advertising thorough and effective, it should be done eR broad and liberal scale. The cost of such undertaking would be very great and would exceed the appropriation which the congress has thus far made available
 for the sale of Liberty Bonds
 Holding such views on tue subject of advertising if Secretary McAdoo should suddenly find himself out of a job we do think any firm in the land would hire him advertising manager Why cannot the advertisement Liberty Loan bonds be given the same considerations those which determine the action of private enterprises private enterprise with the methods private enterprise by experience has learned to employ, that has proved the value of advertising. Private enterprise dscrminates buy ing advertising space just it does in buyng any commodity its business requires
 Private enterprise does not waste it's money in advertising space which it believes will do good and does unnecessarily duplicate efforts by advertising in more than newspaper in field when it believes that newspaper will cover the field Except for political reasons there is why the money appropriated the sale Liberty Bonds should be disspated no purpose and only political considerations dictate that be no paid advertisement at all because the govern men cannot afford to advertise in all the
 We would interject word regarding the 'con- alterations which determine private enterprises in advertising. There is only one consideration enter taned by the scientific advertiser and that is the value to him of the space he buys. is business transaction and nothing Now and then private enterprise buys advertising space for the not altogether unworthy purpose of helping struggling newspaper in a spirit of community loyalty but that is not business. Sometimes consideration is the forestaling threatened black-mail and sometimes the purchase of space is form bribery These last three considerations however never move the scien- tific advertiser
 We do not suppose the newspapers of this country anyway the better greatly in this subject except from an ethical view point While they all have advertising space sell and none of them like to give it away they would rather get along without taking money from the government in connection with the distribution Liberty Bonds
 Their attitude to the government in this respect Is much the same would be the attitude of pub fisher to relative of his wife, who might have horse to sell. He would wish the relative might succeed in effecting sale without advertising For family reasons he would hate to take the money and for business would not want to perform the advertising service for nothing
 We have doubt though, that whether with or without pay, the newspapers will open their pages to the Liberty Loan proposition, but it will be human nature to have lost some of the enthusiasm with which the newspapers exploited the first Liberty Loan To that the charm of novelty added feature