The daily progressive-miner., 1918-09-10
BRITISH WAR
 PUBLICITY PAYS
C. F. Higham. Widely Known in America, Tells How Govern
 ment Dept. Advertises

How the British Government has been helping instead of hampering newspaper advertising is explained by the honorary publicity agent of vari- ous British departments in a letter to James Keeley, obtained in response to an inquiry made by Roger w. Bab- son. director of the inftormas.on and education service of the Department of Labor. The letter follows:
 'Dear Mr. Keeley: In reply to the query from the Chief of the Division of Information and Education, MT Roger w. Babson, in regard to the at titude of the British Government to- ward the British Government not only relies upon. but encourages in every way the newspapers of this country. They have placed nc rescr:ctlons on the press in regard to the sort Of ad- vertising they should carry or how much of it they should carry, and neither have they interefered in any way with the business of the news papers other than to arrange for them to only use a proportion of the paper or pulp which they used in previous years, owing to the lack or supplies coming into the country. Even there the object was to see that as far as possible all newspapers -aaintained their prestige.
 "The only other restriction I know of that has been placed os the news papers is the press bureau which reg ulates the distribution of news. The British Government believes that the press of this country is most essential for the proper carrying on of the war.
 Tn regard to advertis:ng-all the advertisements that have appeared in the press on behalf of the Government departments of this country are paid for at scale rates, or more, as m the case of war bonds and war-savings certificates. Where in a great many of the newspapers there are two rates one for trade and one for financial the Government pays rate half way be- tween these two rates. There has never been any question of the Gov ernment asking for free advertising 1 in this country. neither have they ex- pected it. One can not expect a newspaper to give up the bulk of it's editorial space in support of the war 1 and then give up it's revenue columns at the same time.
 This paid advertising has been ex- traordinarily successful. The cost of the treasury's advertising in the rais- 1 ing of war loans works out at roughly ne-thirty-eighth of 1 per cent, which think you will agree Is extremely economical
 The advertising of nonessential commodities has decreased, not be- cause of any interference on the part of the Government, but owing to the fact that the newspapers use their
 good judgment there and only find
 room for the necessities and give sec
 ond place to the nonessentials All trada-marked goods are advertised
 regularly as before, though they can
 not use such large space as previously
 but their advertising in a more modi
 fed form is there just the same.
 think this answers MT. Babson's quer fes. If it does not. should be pleased to give you any further information you may require.
 ''In writing to MT. Babson you
 might wish to have some authority
 for the statements which I make. Yor
 might tell him that the man who gave you the information is the honorary
 publicity agent to the treasury, the
 national war savings committee, the
 Admiralty and other Government de partments.'
 The letter is signed by c. F. Hig
 ham who is widely known in this country and formerly held importan business positions here