New-York tribune., 1918-07-11
The Rising Tide
Against
The Hearst Papers
From The Outlook
\ nor SEVERAL weeks thye has b..,
a spontaneous popular rnoyem...

spontaneous popular movema..
growing in intensity and terrisor.
against the papers owned and conduc.sa
william Randolph Hearst In some 49,.
munities newsdealers have declined n Nv
them. In other communities groups of ~,
zens have persuaded those who are a..s'
toned to buy them to buy them no Inn.
In one or two communities they have ho.-
publicly burned. Summit, N. J., va.
early leader in this movement. In Now.
Vernon, \. Y, the local authorities ns.,..
an ordinance barring them, but were
joined from enforcing this by the dec;,..
Of judge. 1t is reported that at Tho :.
quest of the -Fcw Mexico Council of n
fence the newsdealers in Santa Fe. M
have barred these publications.
What brought this movement to hs,d
was the discovery that in printing II.
Presidents Memorial Day proclamsto,
"The New York American the Hears.
morning daily of New York City, omitss
the passage which urged prayer for victorv
This, however. was but the elimination a.
what has been regarded widely as seris.
Of offences against the cause for which sbs
nation is fighting. No one has charged tbs
Hearst papers with openly encouraging dis.
loyalty, for that would be charging N,
Hearst with a stupidity that would prevent
him from being a public danger What ba.
caused this angry protest has been the per.
sistent publicati IN OF statements in n.
Hearst papers tending to weaken public
opinion in behalf of an aggressive prosec,.
tion of the war, TO create sympathy for Ger.
many and to arouse suspicion of the ns.
tions, particularly Great Britain and 1apsn
by whose side we are fighting
Among the organizations that have mar.
ticipated in the campaign to overcome the
influence Of the Hearst papers has been III.
National Security League Some Of It,
speakers have been vigorous in their denim.
citation of the Hearst journals. The president
Of the league, Mr.. S. S. Menken, in state.
ment expressing himself as "unalterablv on.
posed to many of the foreign policies o.
The American and its method Of apnros,b
to many internal questions" acknowledged
that Mr.. Hearst's New York American had
advocated preparedness and universal train.
ing Of course, such a statement az ths.
made without the authority of the National
Security League. was subject to misuse asa
defence of the Hearst papers in the course
Of the war. and Mr.. Hearst tried to make i,
appear that the league had ndorsed him as
patriot. Consequently, Mr.. Menken DO.
cided that such misuse of his statemen.
could be offset only by his resignation ss
president of the league. of which he wss
the founder. In his letter of resignation +.
said that he was totally opposed to "a.
citism and pro- Germanism and all that Mr.
Hearst has striven for toward weakening
and causing dissension in the progress
OF the war, either in our own country or
among allies" He added: ~ believe
the greatest danger this country will bays
to confront will be drive By the Germans
for premature peace, and that, on their
record, Mr.. Hearst's papers may be fairy
anticipated to act as the most subtle adyo
Gates for peace at any price"
Ofcourse "The New York American d.
clared that Mr.. Menkcn had been forced
out by sinister interests" and termed
him editorially longtime cabin-bov of ths
black craft Plunderbund," and called the
League names selected from its vocabulary,
such as "buccaneering band of corporation
lawyers and public plunderers," "highbind
ers CT high finance" "rock-ribbed react;or.
ares, pirate crew of the Captain Kidds Of
industry" etc. There are some people who
are impressed by string of epithets
DIR. Menken's resignation was preceded
by the resignation from the Council Of
National Defence of Dr. James A. B.
Scherer. president of Throop College Of
Technology, at Pasadena, Cal. who hsd
been chief field agent of the council and
VINO resigned because he had been warned
by the Secretary of War against denoune
ing newspapers. AS he had both befor
and since accepting his post in the council
been warning people against the infuencs
OF the Hearst journals for an inconcusiYe
peace, he determined to resign rather thar
keep silent
Another effect of this feeling agains. tn.
Hearst papers has been the withdrawal Of
the Carpenters and Joiners' Brotherhood,
NO. oo8, from the Central Federated Union
OF New York City because of the unions
resolution indorsing the Hearst papers. As
this brotherhood is an important labor
oody' the withdrawal has caused some con-
cern.
Vi course Mr. Hearst attributes all this
campaign to political motives, and last
week while it was in fun swing, "Ths
ashington Times" edited By former
employe OF Mr.. Hearst's, came out in full
page editorial urging Mr. Hearst to run for
Governor of New York.
-, France has her CailIaux, Italy has her
Giolitti. We should not think that Mr.
Hearsf would be ambitious to play role
corresponding to these in America.