Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-01
Nsc,R~>~~>
ocA 9~tsn4,;;a-,s
Try Victor RossWnter

THESE are the days when newspaper publicity
L is proving its immense power, rand the value
OF the printed appeal to rally the patriotism
OF the people is being recognized as never before
When the editors were here for the Nebraska
Press association, dwet, in one OF my talks,
somewhat upon this phase of newspaper use
fulness and called attention to the part played by
the press through both news and advertising
columns in paving the way for and insuring the
success Of, enlistments for all branches of the
army and navy service, the registration under
the universal military conscrpton law, the float
ing OF the Liberty Loan, the most colossal bond
issue ever put upon the market at one time, and,
finally, the raising OF the numerous relief funds
particularly the Red Cross $l00,000,00 war fund,
Of which the like was never dreamed OF in all
history in any country on the face of the globe.
My own interest thus stimulated in the subject
led me to make a few inquiries as to the scope
and extent of newspaper publicity utilized for
the Red Cross campaign in other cities as well
as in own, and the information will. | take it,
be of equal interest to newspaper folks if not
to the general reader.
What was done in New York was explained
in the first of the series of big ads put out by
the Red Cross workers in the metropolis, who
told the public exactly what they were trying to
do and how they were going to do it. / quote
the exact statement because it reflects the value
placed upon advertising by the biggest men in
the country, and the advantage, as results DEM
onstrated. of taking the public into their con-
fidenee;
Perhaps you are wondering as you read
these lines where the money comes from to
pay for this advertisement. Let me tell you:
Some big-hearted, sympathetic, patriotic
men said: We must get the Red Cross appeal
for funds before all Of the people quickly. Our
cannot possibly get in touch with everybody in
New York in ten days. How shall we 20
about it, The newspapers are helping more
than their share, and it is unfair to ask them
to do more. We had better contribute sum
of money to advertise Red Cross needs to all
OF the people. If everybody reads what the
Red Cross is doing, there will be an avalanche
OF subscriptions
Representatives Of the Advertising Club of
New York were consulted. Inquiry was made
OF newspaper publishers as to what they would
charge They instantly responded by naming
price that barely covers the cost of the white
paper on which this story is printed, the COM
position and the distribution. Could anything
be finer?
"The big-hearted, sympathetic, patriotic men
referred to then went down deep in their
pockets and drew forth fund large enough
to pay for three pages in each OF eighteen
newspapers in New York and Brooklyn total
of fifty-four pages.
Today this page appears in every morning
and evening newspaper in New York and
Brooklyn, and its message will be carried to
the hearts of over 3,35000O individual pur-
chasers of these newspapers.
Each of the fifty-four pages is expected to
produce for the Red Cross fund at least $780,
Oo0-and it will if all Of you start today to do
your share"
Reports from Minneapolis, ST. Paul, Denver,
Kansas City, Des Moines and indianapolis are all
to the effect that newspaper space was princ-
pal factor in raising the Red Cross money, and
in all of them, as in Omaha, the papers took
the lid off the news columns" and went the whole
limit. Here in Omaha the three papers, in add-
tion, contributed the cost of an average OF page
of display advertising every day for the six-day
campaign, something which l do not find to have
been done anywhere else. In indianapolis ten
pages were bought and paid for by patriotic news
of the week was inserted and paid for by the
Ad club, which raised fund for this purpose,
the papers contributing the price Of one page. In
Minneapolis three or more pages were bought
and paid for in each paper by the campaign pro-
moters, Likewise in Kansas City The Liberty
Loan sale and the Red Cross campaign are,
am thoroughly convinced, opening up the eyes OF
the public to field of newspaper publicity actv-
ity almost wholly neglected heretofore, but which
will be more systematically cultivated from
now on.
The judicial appointment handed by the presi-
dent to our fellow-townsman, Constantine J.
Smyth, is handsome midsummer bouquet, and
Mr. Smyth is really deserving democrat"
remember when we all went over to Chicago
with William Jennings Bryan and the Free Silver
bunch in 1896, and he did as much as any to
initiate the Bryan presidential boom and make it
aviate; Judge Smyth, as suppose we should now
call him, has been exceptionally successful, too
in keeping between the lines and avoiding the
brick-bats in the fights between Nebraska demo-
cratic factions which have proved fatal to so
many ambitious statesmen. congratulate the
new judge, although sorry to lose him from
our midst, and haye no doubt he will dispense
even-handed justice to District of Columbia liti-
gants.