New-York tribune., 1918-08-27
News for the Publishers

To the members of the Publishers Asso-
citation of New York, representing, be-
sides the Hearst and foreign language
papers, The Times, The World, The
Herald and The Sun, in the morning
field, and The Evening World, The Tele-
grom, The Mail, The Globe and The
Post, in the evening field
Sirs:
As you do not print the news in your
own papers it is possible that you do not
know what the situation is, and that for
lack of information in the present you
have missed the significance of things
that are past.
This is to remind you that Hearst saw
the storm before it broke. and himself
clearly recognized the real issue. At 4
meeting of the Publishers Association
we think it was in the library of the
Zeitung-Hearst's representative
proposed that the members should pledge
themselves to stand together against the
newsdealers in the event of trouble.
The specific point of the agreement pro-
posed by him was that if the newsdeal
ers attacked one paper by cutting their
orders for it they should not be supplied
with other papers. The Tribune's rep
resentative dissented, saying "Provided
the cutting of a paper is for purely trade
reasons" At that one member looked
at the Hearst representative and said as
we recall it: "That's aimed at you The
Tribune thinks there might be patriotic
reasons for cutting the Hearst papers"
To suppose the Hearst papers might be
cut for patriotic reasons was not IRA
tional in view Of the fact that indignant
people were making bonfires of them all
over the country. The Tribune knew
they were being cut for patriotic reasons.
So did the Hearst representative who
offered the resolution. The point we wish
to make here is that all of you, as mem
bers of the Publishers Association, were
long since put upon notice as to ex-
istence of the loyalty issue between
Hearst and the newsdealers, and as to
what The Tribune's attitude on that issue
would be:
Also, this is to inform you that there
is no general strike Of newsdealers
against other than the Hearst papers.
Hearst appears to have made both you
and Mr.. Hylan believe there is. The
newsdealers are at war with Hearst. and
with Hearst alone--as yet. What you
evidently do not know is that when the
Manhattan newsdealers had their mass
meeting IN Beethoven Hall to declare a
strike against the Hearst papers, in sup
port OF the Brooklyn dealers, as the plan of
strategy was, men whom the newsdealers
recognized as Hearst agents got control
OF the meeting by rough tactics. threw
1t into an uproar, and pretended to pass
resolution declaring a strike on ali
the papers for a price Of S120 per hun
dred. The purpose of this was to ma
n9uvre you into position on Hearst's
side OF the fight. 1t was not merely
a question of needing your support.
Even more than that he needed the con
tact Of your responsibility and Amer-
canism-two things which he grossly
msunderstands and thinks he can buv.
he tried recently to buy them out of The
Iribune's London Office. He offered our
London correspondent, Arthur S. Draper.
a very large salary to act for the Hearst
papers. Mr.. Draper reported it to show
now anxious the man was to get himself
cleanly represented in the country of an
ally who not long before had expelled
nm and all his papers and correspon-
dents on charges of outrageous and dis
honest pro-Germanism. But to conplete
the news of the Beethoven Hall incident
the newsdealers repudiated the resolu-
ton tacit!y and never proceeded with a
general strike
This, thirdly, is TO give you the in
formation that although in many cases
and IN some neighborhoods Hearst's an
tagonism TO the thought Of increasing
the newsdealers' trade profit Is the issue
yet in many other cases and in very LARGE
neighborhoods the price Of papers is not
cFen within the issue The true and
most significant illustration Of this phase
Of the matter comes from Long Island.
The Long Island Newsdealers' Asso-
cation will meet to-day to discuss what
shall be done TO meet this dilemma The
aatj'Hearst sentiment in many places is
10 strong that one who continues to dig
play and'sell Hearst newspapers is put
under the ban of public disapproval and
threatened with the comfetition of com
mnnity stores for the sale Of 100 per