New-York tribune., 1919-07-12
About a Column

autoplogxaphy without confessing his
Indebtedness to this book. University
men insist on bringing it casually into
any conversation about the novel. The
book, to be sure, is on the required
reading list OF number of courses il
English literature, put this does not
dshnltely assure complete perusal.
.Iom Jones" has come into that un-
fortunate class of books concerning
read - And nobody has the
courage to say No" TO such frontal
attack.
Scribner's list of suggestions for
sumner reading contains a number of
interesting volumes, and it has an
added ring Of sincerity from the fact
that 1t is not confined to its own pub
lcations alone. The list is as follows:
"Salnts ..S,1. Progress, by Ga1sworthy;
Haunted Bookshonv by Christopher
Morley; Dangerous Days" by Mary
Roberts Rinehart; Democracy" by
Shaw Desmond, and Blind Alley" by
George.
Edward Alsworth Ross, in What Is
America ?" displays no great regard for
the power of the press, not of the daily
press at any rate. "The newspapers
reflect opinion rather than mould it,"
he says. I'm recent years they have
lost prestige because many of their
readers suspect them of being under
the thumb of their advertisers. The
'commercialization of the press is a
phrase that has sunk dsep. Then, too,
the newspaper is frequently a great
earning property owned by some rich
man instead of by the editor Hence,
the ultimate sources of public opinion
are not the newspapers, but the weekly
and monthly periodicals, the utter
mces of outstanding persons (such as
Dr.. Charles W. Eliot, ex-President
Taft, Mr.. Gompers and Miss Jane
tial groups like the bar associations.
the bankers or the scientific bodies, the
pronouncements of the pulpit, the atti-
tude of the universities and the opin-
ions of serious writer's, whose books
are brought within the reach of wide
public by means of the thousands of
public libraries"
Personally, we have never felt the
thumb of an advertiser and never hope
to feel one, but if Professor Ross were
correct in his implication of the wide
spread "commercializato of the
press" what reason would there be to
fiuenced by advertising than maga-
zines? Certainly there is no sting in
the charge that "the newspaper is fre-
quently great earning property
owned by some rich man instead of
by the editor" because it is much rarer
to find magazine owned by it's editor
than a newspaper.
Professor Ross may be correct in
assun .ng that newspapers have re-
Gently lost prestige, but it is difficult to
check this up. At any rate, if we were
a political leader we fancy we would
be more concerned with the support of
the newspapers than the support of
the ministers. We would trade, we
think, all the bankers and scientific
bodies for good morning paper, and
if we might have a couple of popular
evening papers, as WELL on our side
we would be willing to forego not only
the periodical press and the outstand-
ing persons mentioned, but throw in
Nicholas Murray Butler and Chancellor
Day for good measure.
1t is, perhaps, interesting to note
that during the Red riots in Berlin the
various factions struggled not to- capt
ure pulpits or magazines, but news
paper Offices.
Nor is there any indication of a
press, as may be judged by the fol-
lowing story from Gerald Cumber-
lands "Set Down in Malice:
Some thirty years ago male child
was born to worthy and not unpros-
porous man in Manchester. Now. this
man had one faith, one gospel, one am
bition. His faith was of the Liberal
persuasion his gospel The
Manchester GUARDIAN his ambition to
have some close connection with that
paper Being untitled by the nature Of
his own talents to join the staff, he
resolved that in the fulness of time
that distinction should belong to his
SON. SO he wrote to the editor, thus:
"'Sir: | have the honor to inform
vuu that last night my wife gave birth
to a son. 1t is my ambition that, when
his intellect is ripe and his powers
mature, be shall be chosen by you as
& member of your staff. His education,
lis whole upbringing, shall be directed
70 that end. l shall report to you his
progress from TING to time.
"'l have the Honor to be, sir, your
obedient servant, -
81 have not this letter before me;
indeed, | have never seen it. But |
am assured it was couched in those
O. similar terms.
Years passed. Harry-we will call
rim Harry-survived the perils Of
babyhood and was sent to school for
the sons of gentlemen, and the editor
vas duly apprised of the fact. Harry
studied hard for his ambition was even
that of his father. Harry took scholar
ships, Harry had private tutor, and,
eventually, Harry went to the varsity.
in the meantlmeN reports passed at
regular intervals from Harry's father
to the editor of The Manchester Guard
IAN, who now, as nurses say began to
sit W and take notice. He desired to
meet Harry He did meet him. Harry
-ook an honours degree, came back to
Manchester, and was duly Installed
among the blessed. where he still is
Harry's dream was fulfilled"
For our part we have an ambition
ttat H the third should become {
dramatic critic when he natures a lit
lie. but just now he shows such
tendency to tear and to bite books
rewsp spapers end stray sheets of paper
that it looks as is he were HEADED
straight for the copy desk. H. B.
Dangerous Days
DANGEROUS DAYS BY Mary Robert,
: Rinehart. Published by George H
Doran.
Mrs. Rinehert is a capable and en-
Aoi1 !