Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-11
HERE is THE Life STORY OF THE
BIGGEST PRIVATE CITIZEN" IN THE WORLD

In Europe there is a man who
makes and Unmakes governments. A
| private citizen, he Yields more pow
| err than any ruler. He he been
| called THE most powerful man in
| Empire, now naming, now JUNIORS
ing British prime ministers.
This man is Alfred Harmsworth,
ex-reporter, now Lord Northcliffe.
He has won his unique place, his
| unparalleled influence. his over
whelming, power, by the soundness
er and later in statecraft. He has
the courage of a lion, the determin-
alton of a bulldog. He has. the en-
ergy of dynamo, the stamina OF a
cIes nor obscurity could daunt him;
fame, honors, power have not I'M
balanced him. says Forbes Maya
zine.
He braved the eXecration of the
British public, he knowingly incur
red the risk of Imprisonment, by
openly defying the censorship rules
to reveal that the Asquith govern
ment and Earl Kitchener were bun
Cling, the conduct of the war SO
grossly that defeat appeared inevi-
table. His Daily MaiP' was burned
on the floor of the London Stock
exchange and his etfigy was hanged
when his exposure of the war de-
arose, Put the traitor in jail,
Through it all Northcliffe remained
unmoVed. In his soul he felt that
he would have been a traitor to his
country had he kept silent. Events
abundantly justified his daring ac-
ton. Investigation proved that the
British army was not being properly
equipped to withstand the monster
guns and tremendously powerful Ak
plosives used by the Germans.
How He Started
1t was Northcliffe who, again i'm
PEELED by the highest sense of pa
triotism, brought about the removal
of Herbert H. Asquith from the pre-
miership and the appointment of Da-
vid Lloyd George; and history will
confirm the wisdom of the choice.
Born in Ireland of an English ia
Their and an Irish mother, he was
reared in the vicinity of London, early
developed a passion for journalism,
which made its BOW With this an !,
nouncement: "I have it on the best
authority that this naper is to be a
marked success" and followed this
up in the second number with the
declaration: ST am glad to say that
my magazine has proved correct"
At sixteen he began writing for a
juvenile publication. His work al
most Immediately commanded no.
tice, and he was soon made, assist
ant editor of youth" a well-known
periodical, at q salary of $25 a
week The death of his father com
PEELED him to become the directing
head of the large Harmsworth fam
lily, although he was among the
Younger of the boys,
Launched weekly
Despite the warnings and pro-
tests of timid friends, Harmsworth,
when oily twenty-three, launched
weekly publication of his own, can
swers to Correspondents" 1t hung
fire. He worked as he had never
worked before. He wrote most of
the articles, was his own circula-
ton manager and trudged from
news stand to news stand, urging
the dealers to push his paper. AL
though wrestling with numberless
difficulties, and although success was
not in sight, he demonstrated his
faith and his self-confidence by as
Stunning domestic responsibilities.
Scheme after scheme to boom An
swers" Gas it was then called) fall
ed. and matters had reached crit1-
cal stage when a friend lent him
$4,000.
This proved the turning point as
William e. Carson points out in ms